Ukraine claims it shot down a Russian attack helicopter in fierce street battle for Avdiivka city

By ILLIA NOVIKOV
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian forces are claiming they shot down a Russian attack helicopter in eastern Ukraine near the city of Avdiivka. That’s where Russian and Ukrainian soldiers are fighting from street to street as the Kremlin’s forces step up their four-month campaign to surround Kyiv’s defending troops. An official said Thursday that Ukrainian soldiers used a portable anti-aircraft missile to take down the Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter, one of the Russian air force’s deadliest weapons. The roughly 1,500-kilometer (930-mile) line of contact has shifted little during recent months of wintry weather. But the U.K. Defense Ministry says that as the war nears its two-year anniversary, Avdiivka has become “a primary focus” for Moscow’s forces.