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Vladimir Putin's forces cannot seem to catch a break in the Black Sea region, as Russian air defenses shot down their own helicopter conducting reconnaissance on June 21.
Knewz.com has learned that the "friendly fire" incident has reportedly left four dead.
The Russian Ka-29 helicopter was looking for Ukrainian sea drones when it was shot down by the Pantsir air defense missile system near the town of Anapa, in Krasnodar Krai, on the northern coast of the Black Sea.
Russian soldier and propagandist Egor Guzenko wrote on his Telegram channel Thirteen that the incident occurred due to a malfunction of the Russian air defense system, per preliminary reports.
"In Anapa, our own air defense shot down our own helicopter. KA-29 was engaged in the search for BECs, one of our "Pantsiere" hit the helicopter (According to the preliminary version, due to a malfunction of the "own" system)," he wrote on the channel.
"I will not voice any versions, let counterintelligence and investigation be disassembled. Four people died. Eternal memory to our soldiers," Guzenko added.
Newsweek reported that Russia is yet to confirm the loss of the $24 million attack helicopter, although the Russian Defense Ministry has shared updates regarding a reportedly attempted Ukrainian drone strike on annexed Crimea.
"An attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack using unmanned boats and aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles against targets on the territory of the Russian Federation was stopped," the statement read, via Newsweek.
"Duty air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 70 UAVs over the territory of the Republic of Crimea and over the Black Sea, 43 UAVs over the territory of Krasnodar Krai, and one UAV over the territory of the Volgograd Oblast."
"In the northwestern part of the Black Sea, the naval aviation of the Russian Black Sea Fleet destroyed six unmanned boats of the Ukrainian Navy," the Defense Ministry added.
Guzenko also wrote about the reported attack on Telegram on June 21, saying, "This night, one of the most massive attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the territory of Russia occurred. There are dead and injured in the Krasnodar Territory."
"UAS UAV UAVs were also shot down over Crimea, the Bryansk, Belgorod and Volgograd regions. Thanks to our men from the air defense, for every night in which they save those who do not even know about it."
Reports of the loss of the Russian Ka-29 helicopter were also picked up by pro-Ukraine social media channels, like the handle Special Kherson Cat on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Russian sources associated with the Russian military aviation report about the loss of the Russian Ka-29 helicopter. Those are actively used by Russians to counter Ukrainian naval kamikaze drone attacks in the Black Sea area. Judging by the tone of the Russian posts, the crew died," the handle wrote.
Notably, this is not the first time Russian forces have downed one of their own aerial elements, as they shot down a Su-27 fighter jet over occupied Crimea in March 2024.
The incident was reported by the Moscow-installed leader of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, who also mentioned that the pilot of the aircraft managed to eject from the plane safely.
Telegram channels in Russia confirmed this report as they circulated video footage showing the Su-27 fighter jet going down in planes and the pilot parachuting to safety.
Dmytro Pletenchuk, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, attributed the incident to the state of heightened "combat readiness" of the Russian forces.
"We confirm that this aircraft belonged to the Russian Federation and that it was destroyed by their own forces. They were on alert, on combat readiness. The human factor was at work—one of the operators was eager to get a medal and didn't bother to find out whose plane it was," Pletenchuk said in his statement, via a previous Newsweek report.