Screenshot from the video
The ISIS-linked media outlet Amaq released a dramatic footage of an explosion of Russian Mi-35 multi-role combat helicopter near the Syrian village of Huwaysis, located northwest of Palmyra city.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Mi-35 was delivering a humanitarian aid in the area when it was downed because of a technical failure. ISIS militants shelled the landing site with mortars and ‘damaged the helicopter’. The incident took place on November 3.
UPD: The Mi-35 was also hit with an anti-tank guided missile.
The Amaq video shows that the Mi-35 was blown up as result of the shelling:
The Mi-35’s crew (2 men) survived the incident and returned safely to the Russian Khmeimim Airbase in the province of Latakia.
The second helicopter that could be observed in the video was a search and rescue mission that had appeared on the scene to take the crew of downed Mi-35 helicopter.
More photos by ISIS-linked outlets:
With suspicious Lavrov “humanitarian“ ceasefire ,ISIS rearmed and threaten the live of Russian lives.
I’m not convinced IS is firing on that chopper. Seems like Russkies decided to burn it rather than leave it more intact. Clearly it was unflyable, so destruction was really the only option.
No snackbars…..I agree
i don’t know. If they decided to blew it up they would normally get farther from it. you don’t make a bomb go off before leaving the area.
Yes, that would certainly be the standard procedure. But they are on hostile territory and quite likely in a hurry. It is possible they are getting a warning of approaching hostiles. The rescue chopper has anti-missile flares coming off. If that is an automated defensive system it would mean a lock-on from a manpad. So maybe the pilot hovers near the ground to kick up a huge dust cloud to break the lock-on. The IS goon realises he has been spotted and a loitering SU-35 has a high-explosive device with his name on it coming his way. He dives for cover and everyone leaves in relatively good order. This is all speculation of course, but the centrality of that detonation is just too much of a bulls-eye. The men on the ground just don’t look like they are under attack.
I agree on everything. The only inexact thing is that MANPADS do not cause a lock on alert when they acquire their target, as they are infrared systems which work 100% passively.
Ok. That’s good to know. Then someone punched the flares off deliberately.
Thermite grenade will first burn, then melt, then goes to “low explosion” (extremely exothermic burn). Usually, it destroys an army vehicle (Humvee) on the point that motor block, glass, and all metal parts disappears. But you can stand 15-20 m away, without fear of classical explosion (apart from fuel tank).
That was my first impression after watching the video. And unless ISIS are dumb, why aim at a chopper that’s already down a second right nearby whose rotors are roaring and just about about to take off? In fact there were two clear opportunities for a clean shot at the working machine which were not taken. Moreover after the explosion the men on foot did not dive for cover neither did they appear in urgent need to make a run for it.
If hit by the mortar, armbrust, stinger or whatsoever, at the moment of fire ignition, there will be – visible outside damage on chopper.
It’s a classical thermite burn/low explosion, so it means self-destruction.
you can clearly see the second chopper throwing out flares so don’t think the russkies blow it up
Throwing out flares just before vacating the immediate theatre of operation seems to be standard practise by Russian copter pilots.
It is a standard practice of any army chopper pilots. Flares cost next to nothing, chopper cost 20 millions.
What is the purpose of throwing flares? Since it is day?
They act as decoy to IR missile, manpads. The manpads use IR seeking heads, the flair gives off large heat signature and attract missile away.They have no intention of illumination.I guess technically they could also have an effect on the ATM crews of various ATM systems.
“ISIS militants shelled the landing site with mortars and ‘damaged the helicopter”……yes sure …the other pilot came back a stay in the area for see if he can get a shell for himself….. How you can see from the footage the other chopper came back and shoot samting, like flare, to the downed mi-35. I think day pintpointed the location and after from distance they blow it up!
The shutter sound was mounted. Come on !!! Delivering a humanitarian aid kkkkkk. :) Not god , not god !!
It seems obvious that the CSAR team did its job, demolishing the helicopter after rescuing the crew. It is standard practice to destroy the equipment instead of leaving it intact in enemy hands.
this is a better video. first, the video was taken by IS which used a pro IS channel to distribute.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mjue3Jopck here you can see it in frames. yes IS shoot something i am not sure what but my guess would be an ATMG. no, i don’t know why they didn’t aim for the choper which still was working. may be it was because of the shooting angle.