A Mi-17 helicopter used by  junta for logistics operations was destroyed by a drone strike in Myaing Township, Magway Region, in central Myanmar, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Defence of the resistance-run interim Magway Federal Unit.

The statement said Magway resistance coalition forces attacked the Mi-17 with a suicide drone on the afternoon of June 23 while it was preparing to take off from a certain location in Myaing Township, reportedly destroying the aircraft.

Video released by the Magway People’s Defence Force (Magway-PDF) appears to show the helicopter being struck by the suicide drone as it was preparing for departure after offloading troops as well as weapons, ammunition and other supplies.

According to the statement, the operation was jointly carried out by the Magway Federal Unit Defence Column, Magway-PDF and allied resistance forces.

The junta has relied heavily on Mi-17 helicopters for troop extraction and logistics support, particularly in areas where fighting is intense. Between 2021 and 2026, six of the aircraft have reportedly been damaged or destroyed in resistance attacks.

Of those, two were hit while airborne, while the remaining four were attacked while preparing to take off.

In 2025, two Mi-17 helicopters involved in fighting in Bhamo Township, Kachin State, were targeted by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and PDF, which reportedly lay in wait and attacked them with suicide drones as they arrived to deliver weapons and supplies.

A similar incident also took place in Sagaing Region in 2024, near Pinlebu Town, during intense fighting. A Mi-17 attempting to evacuate wounded junta soldiers was attacked by PDF troops using drones, damaging the helicopter’s door and engine.