HOSTOMEL, UKRAINE — Russia says it sent 200 helicopters to attack Hostomel airport outside Kyiv on the first day of the invasion of Ukraine. First-hand accounts of what happened that day now explain why Russia is still struggling to make use of the airport. <br /> <br /> <br />The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about what happened during the battle of Hostomel airport during the first day of the Russian invasion. The Journal quoted first-hand accounts that said the airport was hit by a Russian cruise missile at 7 a.m. on the morning of February 24. <br /> <br /> <br />A few hours later, dozens of Russian attack helicopters and aircraft started strafing the airport’s defenders with rockets and machine gun fire. <br /> <br /> <br />The airport’s defenders were Ukraine’s elite Rapid Reaction Brigade, who were based at the airport to deploy their skill set quickly. <br /> <br /> <br />The defenders quickly recovered and started to fan out over the large airbase, armed with rifles, anti-aircraft guns and some shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. <br /> <br /> <br />The Russian aircraft flew in twos and threes, circling for strike runs on the airport and the base. <br /> <br /> <br />This initial Russian barrage badly damaged the largest transport aircraft ever made, the Ukrainian made Antonov An-225. <br /> <br /> <br />The defenders say they managed to down three Russian helicopters with missiles, and another two with heavy machine gun fire. <br /> <br /> <br />After nearly three hours of strafing the airport from the air, Russian helicopters began to land to deliver a large force of airborne troops, who fanned out and began firing. But more about that in our next video. <br /> <br /> <br />Footage released on social media shows Russian soldiers dismounting from helicopters at the airport, while other footage shows a Russian helicopter gunship attacking ground targets over the airport. <br /> <br /> <br />The Russian Kamov Ka-52 “Alligator” helicopter can be seen making many attack runs over the airport before it is damaged and forced to crash-land. <br /> <br /> <br />
