Incredible moment Ukraine blast Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter out of the sky sending it crashing to earth in fireball

THIS is the incredible moment Ukraine annihilated a Russian attack helicopter.

Vladimir Putin‘s prized Ka-52 Alligator chopper was sent crashing to the ground in a smoking fireball.

Gripping footage shows the helicopter being blasted out of the sky over Robotyne.

It shows the chopper being struck before it plummets to the ground.

A huge ball of fire then erupts – sending a giant plume of black smoke into the air.

Ukraine’s defence ministry also claimed to have downed a second Ka-52 on Thursday morning near Bakhmut.

The Ka-52s Helicopters had caused a lot of problems for Ukraine in the early days of the counter-offensive.

Ukraine claims to have shot a lot more down, suggesting they are finding ways to get air defence weapons forward.

Putin calls his beloved Ka-52s the “world’s best helicopter gunship” – with each costing more than £12million.

It is claimed Russia started the invasion with around 100 of them – but are now down to just 25, reports .

Nico Lange, a Ukraine expert at the Munich Security Conference, said Kyiv’s forces are picking off Russian weapons like the Ka-52 choppers “piece by piece”. 

The UK’s defence ministry previously said the attacked helicopter had given Moscow a strong advantage in Ukraine.

It comes after a British-made missile blasted another Russian helicopter.

One of Putin’s top commanders onboard the Ka-52 was killed when the aircraft plummeted in Ukraine, defence sources claimed.

A picture released by Ukraine’s Marines confirmed the strike and showed the wreckage on the ground in frontline eastern Donbas.

The deadly Ka-52 Alligator was hit near Donetsk by Ukraine’s 38th Marines last month, Kyiv said.

A senior Russian commander was lost in the strike along with another officer, it was reported.