Ukraine has once again proven that innovation can outweigh military spending. In this video, we break down how a low-cost FPV drone reportedly destroyed a multimillion-dollar Russian Mi-28 attack helicopter, highlighting the growing importance of cost-effective drone warfare. We also examine Ukraine’s evolving battlefield strategy, Russia’s mounting equipment losses, and why affordable unmanned systems are reshaping modern conflict and challenging decades of conventional military thinking.
⏱️ CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Ukraine Changes the Rules of Military Spending
01:40 - Russian Helicopter Drone Strike in Belgorod Oblast
02:30 - Russia $19 Million Mi-28 Attack Helicopter Specs
06:57 - How $500 Shrike 10 Drones Destroy Helicopters
09:47 - Ukraine Drone Strategy Destroys 20 Russian Vessels
13:54 - Can Ukraine Build a 20 Million Drone Army?
Support us directly as we bring you independent, up-to-date reporting on military news and global conflicts by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMilitaryShow/join
#militarystrategy #militarydevelopments #militaryanalysis
#themilitaryshow
SOURCES: https://pastebin.com/p2HuEL9k
⏱️ CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Ukraine Changes the Rules of Military Spending
01:40 - Russian Helicopter Drone Strike in Belgorod Oblast
02:30 - Russia $19 Million Mi-28 Attack Helicopter Specs
06:57 - How $500 Shrike 10 Drones Destroy Helicopters
09:47 - Ukraine Drone Strategy Destroys 20 Russian Vessels
13:54 - Can Ukraine Build a 20 Million Drone Army?
Support us directly as we bring you independent, up-to-date reporting on military news and global conflicts by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMilitaryShow/join
#militarystrategy #militarydevelopments #militaryanalysis
#themilitaryshow
SOURCES: https://pastebin.com/p2HuEL9k
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00For decades, it was almost universally agreed that money was the most important resource in
00:05the military world. A well-funded army would always have an edge over those with less to spend.
00:11Countries with cash to burn would always be stronger than those with limited defense budgets,
00:17and the most expensive assets would always trump cheaper, simpler alternatives. Since 2022,
00:23Ukraine has rewritten every one of those rules. Despite fighting this war with a smaller force,
00:29fewer resources and far less money than its opponent, it has consistently defied the odds.
00:36It has out-thought and outmaneuvered Russia to turn what could have been a quick conflict into one that
00:42has now lasted over four years and shows zero signs of ending the way the Kremlin imagined.
00:47And Kyiv's forces just put on an absolute masterclass in military cost efficiency,
00:53using a $500 asset to take out a multi-million dollar aircraft,
00:58delivering a message that threatens to break the foundations that Russia's entire war machine
01:03was built on. It's not the first time we've heard a story like this.
01:08Ukraine has developed an astonishing reputation for constructing one of the world's most efficient
01:13military forces, repeatedly using relatively affordable hardware to disrupt, damage and
01:19destroy Russian assets that are worth a fortune in comparison. Time and time again,
01:24it's used cheap drones to bombard the enemy's ships, planes, armoured vehicles and infrastructure.
01:30And Ukraine just pulled it off again, producing yet another utterly humiliating loss for Russia's
01:36commanders to mull over as they lick their wounds once more. The incident occurred on the morning of
01:42July 15th near Vyazova in Russia's Belgorod oblast. It was carried out by Ukraine's 427th separate
01:50brigade of unmanned systems, codenamed RAROG, as confirmed by the commander of the unmanned systems
01:56forces of the armed forces of Ukraine, Robert Brovdy, more commonly known by his callsign Magyar.
02:02Magyar has become the face of Ukraine's drone operations in recent years and is often among
02:07the first to share details of the country's countless UAV strikes. Within hours of the attack
02:12taking place, he posted a video showing exactly what happened. The brief clip shows a Russian
02:18helicopter flying over fields as a Ukrainian drone closes in on it from the rear. The drone flies
02:24level with the helicopter for a few seconds before ascending and striking it from above, colliding
02:29directly with its propellers. This wasn't just any helicopter, it was a MIL-MI-28, a heavyweight,
02:36all-weather, day-night, anti-armor military attack helicopter that dates back to the days of the
02:41Soviet Union. It was first manufactured in the early 1980s but wasn't officially introduced to
02:47military service until 2009 due to a combination of factors and delays related to military contract
02:53competition and the economic collapse of the Soviet Union. But don't let the MIL-MI-28's lengthy
02:59development fool you, this is a serious piece of military hardware. Measuring up at over
03:0555 feet or 17 meters in length, with a height of 12.5 feet or 3.8 meters and a
03:11wingspan of 16 feet
03:124.88 meters, it boasts a max take-off weight of 11,500 kilograms just over 25,000 pounds and
03:21can
03:21carry up to 1,720 liters or 450 US gallons of fuel internally plus another 571 liters or 151 gallons
03:31in
03:31drop tanks. Powered by a pair of 2,194 horsepower Klimov VK-2500 turboshaft engines, it can reach an
03:40impressive cruise speed of 270 kilometers per hour and maximum speeds of around 320 kilometers per hour
03:49or 200 miles per hour when needed. With a range of up to 435 kilometers and an endurance
03:56of two hours, the MIL-MI-28 was designed with attack missions in mind and it has more than enough
04:03firepower to threaten any assets in its way. It boasts a chin-mounted MPPU-28 turret with a 30
04:10millimeter automatic Shipunov 2A42 autocannon which can fire anywhere from 200 to 800 rounds per minute
04:17with an effective range of 1,500 meters or 4,900 feet for ground vehicles and 2,500 meters or
04:258,200 feet
04:26for airborne targets. The cannon can also fire a wide range of rounds including armor-piercing, discarding
04:33sabbats and high explosive incendiary rounds. On top of this, the MI-28 comes equipped with up to 16
04:40supersonic attacker V missiles with a range of warheads including high explosive anti-tank options,
04:47thermobarrack variants and expanding rod warheads. These options allow the MI-28 to engage everything
04:53from main battle tanks with explosive reactive armor to infantry, buildings, bunkers and other
04:59helicopters. The MI-28 can also be equipped with a wide range of additional armaments including air-to-air
05:05and air-to-surface missiles as well as aerial bombs making it one of the most flexible assets
05:10at the disposal of the Russian Air Force. And Russia has made regular use of this particular
05:15helicopter throughout its war with Ukraine. Early on in the conflict back in 2023 there were
05:20numerous reports regarding MI-28 attack helicopters being deployed in frontline locations equipped with
05:26new anti-tank missiles designed to counter Ukraine's rapidly expanding inventory of armored vehicles.
05:32Working alongside other models like the Ka-52, the MI-28 has proven effective at damaging and
05:38destroying some of Ukraine's main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and reinforced strongholds.
05:43There have also been reports of Russian forces using this particular helicopter as a drone hunter,
05:49with some units spotted chasing and shooting down Ukrainian reconnaissance and one-way attack
05:54drones with limited degrees of success. In short, the MI-28 is widely regarded as one of the best
05:59attack helicopters on the planet today. Each one represents a valuable asset for the Kremlin's forces,
06:05and while they may not make the headlines as often as drones and missiles, they have played a crucial
06:10role in the conflict so far. And that's why it's such a big deal whenever Ukraine is able to damage
06:16or
06:16destroy one of these aircraft. According to the open-source intelligence group Oryx, Ukrainian forces
06:22have achieved that feat on at least 20 occasions over the course of the war so far. 20 MI-28s
06:29have been
06:29confirmed to have either been severely damaged or entirely destroyed, though the true figure is likely
06:35to be significantly higher, since there are cases in which Russian assets are wiped off the map but
06:40no clear evidence can be found to confirm their destruction. In this case, however, the evidence
06:45is clear to see in video format, as we watch the drone home in on its target, mere millimeters away
06:50from the helicopter's propeller blades before the screen goes black. But the most astonishing part of
06:56the story is the type of drone Ukraine actually used. According to multiple news reports and a
07:01press release from the Ukrainian drone manufacturer Skyfall, the drone in question was none other than
07:06one of Skyfall's own Shrike 10 FPV units. The Shrike 10 is a remarkably effective and astonishingly cheap
07:13tactical strike drone, featuring a 10-inch frame and the ability to carry payloads weighing up to 300
07:19kilograms . It's part of the broader Shrike family of drones, which have been ranked among
07:25the most used drones in the Russia-Ukraine war so far. They boast a flight range of up to 30
07:31kilometers
07:32and a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour , a maximum altitude of around 800 meters
07:41and a total flight duration of up to 15 minutes. But without doubt, the most impressive aspect of
07:48the Shrike 10 is its price tag. These drones cost an estimated $500 per unit. In fact, in some cases,
07:55they can be made for even less, around $400, according to the manufacturer.
08:00Thanks to the Shrike's cheap production costs, Ukraine can easily make and deploy thousands of
08:05these drones without having to worry about spending a fortune in the process. And as this story shows,
08:11these drones may be cheap, but they are perfectly capable of taking out far larger and significantly
08:16more valuable targets. The Mi-28, for example, is estimated to cost between $15 and $19 million per unit.
08:24A $500 drone against a $19 million helicopter, and it's the drone that takes the win. In terms of cost
08:31efficiency, it simply doesn't get much better than that. And the crazy part is that this isn't even the
08:36first time that this has happened. Almost the exact same scenario played out back in September of 2025.
08:42Then, once again, reports emerged of Ukrainian drone pilots successfully striking and destroying
08:47a Russian helicopter using a simple FPV drone. Again, it was the Unmanned Systems Forces Commander
08:53Magyar who shared the news online, writing on Telegram,
08:56The Mi-8 helicopter was destroyed by pilots of the 59th Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces
09:02with an FPV drone. Magyar also shared a video of the attack, a 30-second clip in which we can
09:08clearly see the drone collide with the aircraft, triggering an instant explosion as the helicopter
09:13bursts into flames and crash lands in a cloud of thick smoke. Later details revealed that the
09:19aircraft in question was actually an Mi-8 transport helicopter, not an Mi-28, but it was still worth
09:25over $10 million. And once again, Ukraine's drone crews relied on a $500 FPV drone,
09:31later confirmed to be a Shrike-10, to achieve this outcome.
09:35Before we dig into what this means for both Ukraine and Russia,
09:38the military show brings you the full picture, not just the headlines.
09:42Hit subscribe to stay ahead of the curve.
09:45This story isn't just about one drone and one helicopter. It's a microcosm of the entire war.
09:50It's a symbol of what this conflict has become and the deep divide that exists between both
09:55sides' respective strategies and doctrines. For years, decades even, Russia's military has
10:01been obsessed with expense. From the days of the Soviet Union through to the 21st century regime
10:07of Vladimir Putin, the country has consistently focused on spending extortionate amounts of
10:12money on world-leading innovations. Time after time, at military expositions and red square parades,
10:18Putin's army has repeatedly shown off its latest multi-million dollar projects, from massive main
10:24battle tanks to enormous missiles that can fly faster and further than those that came before.
10:30This is the main way in which Russia has projected power for generations. It has spent more and built
10:35bigger than almost any other country on earth in order to intimidate those that might stand against
10:41it. And for years, the strategy seemed to work. Even some of the world's mightiest military forces
10:46were understandably fearful of antagonizing the Kremlin and feeling the wrath of the grand Russian
10:51war machine. And when Putin gave the order to fully invade Ukraine in 2022, the wider world logically
10:58expected that Russia's military would rampage across the country, wiping out whatever kind of
11:03resistance Kyiv might be able to muster. Of course, as we know now, that's not what happened,
11:08because Ukraine operated according to a very different playbook. It didn't rely on the biggest
11:13tanks and the best missiles. Even with financial support from its Western allies, it didn't have the
11:18funds to match Russia's ever-expanding military budget, so it had to find much cheaper ways to defend
11:23itself. It had to do something that seemed impossible, to nullify and counter the world's second
11:29strongest military force with a fraction of its budget. It had to figure out how to stop million
11:35dollar missiles with air defenses worth tens of thousands, to stop vast drone swarms without the
11:40luxury of enormous interceptor stockpiles, to wipe out extensive mechanized assault groups with
11:45relatively rudimentary mines and anti-tank rockets. For the vast majority of countries, the challenge would
11:51have been too great. Many would have fallen at the first hurdle, failing to stop the relentless Russian
11:56advance, but not Ukraine. Ukraine dared to believe in the impossible and through grit, determination and
12:03endless hours of hard work, it made it possible. Now it's reaping the rewards. Because the recent
12:09attack on the Mi-28 helicopter is just one example of hundreds more. With every passing week,
12:15press reports emerge of Ukrainian drones taking out much larger and more valuable Russian assets.
12:21It's not always a case of $500 UAVs taking out $90 million aircraft. Sometimes it's $5,000
12:28drones destroying $1 million radars. Or $25,000 Baba Yaga bomber drones ending the lives of a dozen enemy
12:36troops. Or swarms made up of dozens of drones blowing up Russian oil refineries, causing incalculable
12:43financial losses for the Kremlin. The numbers vary, but they are almost always in Ukraine's favor.
12:49On July 15, for example, Magyar took the telegram once more to share the news of Ukrainian drone units
12:55successfully striking no fewer than 20 Russian vessels sailing across the Sea of Azov. The ships,
13:01reportedly part of the Russian Shadow Fleet, which Moscow uses to evade financial sanctions and export
13:07oil and other resources around the world, included 17 oil tankers, two LNG tankers and a tugboat.
13:14Magyar also shared video evidence of the vessels being hit, with a compilation of clips showing
13:19FPV drones homing in on their targets. He didn't provide details of which drones were used and Ukraine
13:25has such a diverse arsenal nowadays that it's difficult to know which units are used in specific
13:30strikes. But many cost mere thousands to make, or even less in some cases, and they are continuously
13:36being used against targets that cost significantly more. The more these strikes take place, the worse the
13:43equation gets for Russia, as Ukraine uses simple and cheap hardware to deal literally billions of
13:48dollars of combined damage. It's not sustainable as far as the Kremlin is concerned, and that's the
13:53point. Over the last year, Ukraine has clearly realized that this war will not be won on the
13:59front lines. It won't be won by trying to go toe-to-toe with Russia and simply attempting to take
14:04out as
14:04many tanks and troops as possible, since the Kremlin always has more manpower and assets in reserve,
14:10waiting to take the place of those that have been eliminated. Instead, this war will be won or lost in
14:16the finance department. If Ukraine can make the conflict as costly as possible for Russia,
14:21the Kremlin may eventually be left with little choice but to withdraw its forces and negotiate a
14:26peace agreement. And the most efficient way to do that isn't with expensive missiles or armored vehicles,
14:31it's with drones. It's no surprise, therefore, that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
14:37just announced his intentions to double Ukraine's drone production capacity in the next 12 months.
14:42During the recent celebrations of Ukrainian statehood day in Ky, Zelenskyy admitted that
14:47even he has been surprised to see how quickly his country's defense sector has managed to scale up
14:52production. I remember when I first publicly announced the state's plan to produce 1 million drones a year.
14:57There was a lot of skepticism both in Ukraine and abroad. Now we can state we are producing 10
15:02million drones a year. 10 million. And there will be 20 million. That figure was also stated by the
15:09country's deputy defense minister, Mstislav Banik, who recently told the NATO Parliamentary Assembly that
15:15Ukraine's defense industry already has the potential to produce 20 million drones per year,
15:20provided it receives sufficient funding and support from its Western allies.
15:24Banik added that the defense sector could also manufacture thousands of missiles for use in
15:29both long-range strikes and air defense operations, and called on allies to continue investing in the
15:35country to help it achieve its ambitions. Plenty of countries have heeded the call.
15:40Germany, for example, has recently announced a 90 million euro or 103 million dollar funding package,
15:47specifically to help Ukraine acquire more of the very same Skyfall strike drones that took out the
15:52Mi-8 helicopter in September 2025 and the Mi-28 just days ago. The package covers the cost of 50
15:59,000 of
15:59these FPV combat drones. A veritable army of UAVs just ready and waiting to rain down hell on Russian
16:06targets, each with the potential to eliminate the likes of helicopters, armored vehicles, artillery systems,
16:12fortifications and enemy personnel. And the good news about the Shrike doesn't end there. Earlier this year,
16:18in March, Skyfall made headlines when its Shrike 10 fiber won first place in the US Army's drone
16:24dominance competition, achieving a near-perfect score of 99.3 out of a possible 100 points.
16:31The test took place at Fort Benning in the US state of Georgia, involving US Army representatives
16:36evaluating the quality and performance of each system in simulated combat conditions.
16:41So it's not only that the Shrike is incredibly affordable, it's also one of the best all-round
16:46military drones in existence today, earning the US military's seal of approval. And this is just one
16:52piece of what has quickly become the best drone army on the planet. An army that includes such esteemed
16:57innovations as the Liuchi long-range strike drone, the Wild Hornets Sting Interceptor, the Baba Yaga bombers,
17:04the Firepoint FP-1, and even unmanned surface drones for strikes on naval targets like the Magura V-5 and
17:10V-7.
17:12They vary massively in size, speed, design, and capabilities, but all provide incredible cost-to-value
17:19potential. And that, perhaps, is the most important part of all because it's these drones' cheap price
17:24tags that allow Ukraine to make them so easily and ensure that every successful strike is worth so much
17:30more. And it's not just in the air and on the water that Ukraine is using unmanned assets to cause
17:35chaos for the Kremlin. You can watch this video to see how Kyiv's increasingly powerful ground robot
17:41army is wreaking havoc in frontline kill zones. Alternatively, check out this video to see how
17:47Ukrainian defense forces are using their drones to sink one Russian ship after another across the
17:52Sea of Azov and beyond as part of their quest to isolate and, eventually, liberate the Crimean
17:58Peninsula. Make sure to subscribe to The Military Show for more great military news and analysis
18:03that you won't want to miss. And thank you, as always, for watching.