Archival footage dated February 24, 2022, captures a pivotal moment from the opening hours of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, showing Russian Mi-8 helicopters approaching Hostomel Airport before one is struck and destroyed by a Ukrainian man-portable air-defense system. Filmed from a Ukrainian vantage point near the airport, the video documents the beginning of what would become the Battle of Antonov Airport, one of the most consequential engagements of the war’s initial phase.

The footage shows a large formation of approximately seventeen Russian Mi-8 helicopters flying at low altitude over snow-covered terrain as they move toward Hostomel, located just outside Kyiv. Moments later, one of the helicopters is hit mid-air by a MANPADS missile, erupting into flames before crashing to the ground. The strike underscored Ukraine’s preparedness and ability to contest Russian air operations from the very first day of the invasion.

The operation at Hostomel was central to Moscow’s strategy. Russian forces aimed to seize the airport quickly, allowing transport aircraft to land reinforcements and enabling a rapid advance into the Ukrainian capital. Instead, the airborne assault encountered fierce resistance from Ukrainian defenders, turning what was intended to be a swift takeover into a costly failure.

According to subsequent assessments, Russia lost at least twenty helicopters during the broader Hostomel operation, along with elite airborne troops. The failure to secure Antonov Airport denied Moscow a critical logistical hub and forced Russian ground forces into slower, more vulnerable approaches toward Kyiv. The setback played a significant role in derailing Russia’s early momentum and contributed to the eventual collapse of its initial plan to capture the capital.

The archival video remains a stark visual record of how Ukraine’s effective use of air defenses and rapid response altered the course of the conflict in its earliest hours. It illustrates how a single engagement at a strategic location exposed the weaknesses of Russia’s invasion plan and helped shift the trajectory of the war during its opening phase.