Russian Air Force Mi-8/17/171 Destroyed

Satellite imagery published by an open-source research community and reported by Militarnyi confirmed the destruction of two Mi-8 helicopters at Rostov-on-Don Tsentralny, the airfield struck by long-range drones overnight into 17 September 2026. Ukraine's president said the attack destroyed an An-12, two An-26 transports and three helicopters; the imagery, taken about a day later, corroborated two of the helicopters, and Militarnyi noted the remaining aircraft may have been moved in the interval. The Institute for the Study of War recorded the Ukrainian claim and cited geolocated footage of a large explosion. The regional governor acknowledged a fire but not the aircraft losses.