Ukraine unleashes the minigun on Shahed drones

Ukraine has started equipping its Mi-8 helicopters with American-made M134 Minigun systems to counter Russian Shahed kamikaze drones, according to footage published by the Instagram account aero.tim and reported by Militarnyi.

Russia launches swarms of Shahed kamikaze drones at Ukrainian cities every night, overwhelming air defenses with sheer numbers. These Iranian-designed attack drones are difficult targets for expensive surface-to-air missiles. Helicopter-mounted machine guns give Ukraine another option for intercepting drones without burning through costly missile stockpiles.

The video shows a Mi-8 door gunner firing several bursts at an incoming drone, which then veers off course and crashes. The modification gives the Soviet-designed helicopters a major boost in firepower against low-flying targets that have become a constant threat across Ukraine.

Why Ukraine is putting American miniguns on Soviet helicopters

According to Ukrainian defense portal Militarnyi, the M134 Minigun is a six-barrel, electrically driven machine gun chambered in 7.62×51 mm NATO. It can fire between 2,000 and 6,000 rounds per minute - about eight times faster than the standard PKT machine guns typically mounted on Mi-8s.

Often seen on US helicopters such as the Black Hawk and Huey, the Minigun can be mounted in fixed or swivel configurations, allowing gunners to cover a wide firing arc. Beyond defending against drones, the weapon is also effective for close air support and suppressing enemy firing positions.