According to one of the MTR fighters, on the morning of February 24, their unit headed for a given point to repel a Russian landing . Already on the spot, the special forces divided positions and roles.

This was reported in the command of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“There was information that Il was supposed to fly in, which would land troops. And our task was that we should not let the plane land . Or if it landed, then take contact and suppress the enemy to the maximum, buying time for other units” – said the fighter.

Together with the MTR, the National Guard worked in Gostomel, which took up defense on the runway itself, and other special forces . The special forces had an Igla MANPADS and several missiles to shoot down a Russian military transport aircraft at a distance.

“Everything was as we planned. There were no burdensome problems, except that, according to information, there was supposed to be IL, but not IL, but a lot of helicopters arrived. We were not ready for this, but still to the maximum completed the task,” the commando said.

When it was possible to shoot down the first Russian helicopter, Russian saboteurs with small arms entered the battle. However, the Ukrainian military suppressed them and forced them to retreat. Subsequently, another group of Ukrainian special forces shot down the second Russian helicopter Ka-52 “Alligator”, forcing the occupiers’ aviation to change tactics and throw out the so-called “tricks”.

“Our forces shot down three helicopters – two Ka-52s and one Mi-8,” the fighter said.

Units of the National Guard of the mortars “dismantled” the runway , because they understood that the Russian helicopters could be followed by a plane. Other units helped contain Russian DRG attacks in the area and suppress the landings that had already begun .

“The landing that we saw landed in the middle of the field. Other helicopters did not support, circling around the airport, trying to find someone there. In fact, there was a circle in which they flew, and everything that was beyond the circle, they controlled, and inside – was not subjected to their control, which we took advantage of, “said the MTR fighter.

The first contact with the Russian occupiers occurred after the Ukrainian forces shot down the first Ka-52 helicopter, thereby revealing their positions. Russian troops were relatively close and opened fire from a machine gun. So the Ukrainian fighters quickly retreated to regroup and replenish ammunition. After the defense of the facility, the key task was completed.

“I think it demoralized them very much, because they were not ready for such strong resistance. They planned to just land and take positions, dig in or move on,” the commando said.

He also expressed the opinion that high morale helps the Ukrainian military to avoid significant losses.

Recall that on April 2, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that Gostomel and the entire Kiev region were completely liberated from Russian troops.

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