Ukrainian helicopter pilots have, for the first time, described new details of the high-risk mission that helped pave the way for retaking Zmiinyi (Snake) Island in May 2022. The accounts came from pilots of the 11th Separate Army Aviation Brigade "Kherson", according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
This operation marked a turning point in Ukraine's campaign to challenge Russian control of the Black Sea. Zmiinyi (Snake) Island had become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance after Russia's full-scale war, while its liberation helped restore access to key shipping routes and significantly constrained Russia's ability to project military power along Ukraine's southern coast.
Three attempts, one mission
The first landing attempt came in late April 2022. Helicopter crews split into two groups, one to strike the island's defenses, the other to land troops under their cover, but Ukrainian fighter aircraft providing top cover spotted Russian jets approaching, and the operation was called off mid-approach.
"We had certain protocols, certain agreements, for when the operation ends," said Oleksandr, a Mi-24 pilot who flew top cover that day.
The second attempt followed in early May. Strike aircraft hit the island first, but Russian forces opened fire on the helicopters as they moved to land, and the troops never touched down.
"Landing special forces is one of our usual tasks, but doing it under these conditions was an audacious operation. I'd call it close to impossible," said Oleksii, a Mi-8 pilot who flew on all three attempts.
The Ukrainian military was counting on the element of surprise. But after they had tried once, the Russians knew they were out there, waiting for them.
The third attempt, on 7 May, succeeded. As the soldiers approached the island, it became visible from about 15 kilometers away.
"Since it sits on a rise — somewhere around 42 meters above sea level, they could see us better than we could see them. What worked in our favor was sheer nerve," recalled Leonid, another Mi-8 pilot involved in the operation.
40 kilometers of open water
To reach the island, the helicopters had to cross open sea with no coastline in sight, a setting that disoriented even experienced crews, especially at the near-zero altitudes they flew to avoid detection.
Artem, an Mi-8 pilot who ferried troops to the island, explained that flying over water is considered particularly challenging because the lack of coastal reference points makes navigation difficult, while a calm sea further increases the risk of spatial disorientation.
He recalled that the shortest distance from the mainland to Zmiinyi (Snake) Island was about 40 kilometers and joked with the senior navigator that it seemed a long way, only to be told there was no way to bring the island any closer.
Dark humor helped ease the tension among the crews before the mission. Oleksandr recalled that one of the pilots from Poltava, Maksym, was known for his dark sense of humor, which helped lighten the mood as the crews prepared for the high-risk operation.
"So, Sanya, ready to go for a swim in the Black Sea?" asked Maksym.
The water below them was no warmer than four degrees Celsius at the time of the operation. While some crews had previously trained for low-altitude flights over land during combat operations, flying at such low altitude over open water was an entirely new experience.
Leonid recalled that one of the lead pilots said he could feel a rhythmic tapping, which turned out to be the helicopter's front landing gear striking the sea surface. The helicopters were flying so low that the operation was both physically uncomfortable and highly demanding, requiring high speed and constant maneuvering.
What greeted them on island
By the time helicopters carrying special forces approached on 7 May, Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 drones and tactical aircraft had already struck the island's defenses.
"Everything was already wrecked," Leonid said.
As the helicopters approached the island, they encountered smoke, ongoing small-arms fire, and heavy resistance. Leonid recalled that the crews were unable to land on their first approach because they came under Russian fire.
Guided by Mi-24 attack helicopters providing cover, they made a second attempt and successfully landed the special forces despite continued Russian fire and nearby explosions. He said the landing took only moments and noted that the crew was fortunate a fragmentation grenade did not detonate above the helicopter's rotor blades.
The landing zones had been mined in advance.
Artem explained that the crews first fired rockets at the designated landing areas in an attempt to detonate or disable the mines before the helicopters touched down.
One crew, however, was forced to land on a site that had not been cleared after another helicopter occupied the planned landing zone. He described it as remarkable that none of the mines exploded, adding that combat engineers later confirmed the entire area had indeed been mined.
Human cost
The lead crew during the 7 May assault, pilot Andrii Horetskyi and navigator Yevhen Halytskyi, was the first to join the group of helicopters that struck the island and provided cover for the landing operation. Both men were later killed while defending Ukraine.
Artem, who had known Horetskyi for more than two decades, recalled that they had trained together and eventually served in the same unit. He described Horetskyi as an intelligent and highly professional officer who was deeply committed to improving both his unit and Ukraine's Army Aviation.
Crewmates remembered Halytskyi as the person who helped maintain morale during preparations, reassuring others that everything would be fine and encouraging them despite the risks they faced.
A separate rescue crew, flying an Mi-14 on standby near the coast in case of an emergency, was shot down by a Russian fighter while in a holding pattern during the operation.
The crew included Mykhailo Zaremba, a pilot who had refused to defect during Russia's 2014 occupation of Crimea and continued serving Ukraine afterward. Only one rescuer aboard survived; Ukrainian border guards found him near the crash site, and comrades from the 11th Brigade evacuated him.
What island's liberation opened
Russian forces abandoned Zmiinyi (Snake) Island on 30 June 2022 after sustained Ukrainian missile and artillery strikes, ending a 126-day occupation. The withdrawal reopened the Bystre channel shipping route linking the Black Sea to the Danube, unblocking Ukrainian river ports and restoring maritime trade, including agricultural exports.
It also curtailed Russian naval dominance in the northwestern Black Sea and reduced the threat of an amphibious landing against Odesa and Mykolaiv oblasts.
