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.


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.


A few hours later, dozens of Russian attack helicopters and aircraft started strafing the airport’s defenders with rockets and machine gun fire.


The airport’s defenders were Ukraine’s elite Rapid Reaction Brigade, who were based at the airport to deploy their skill set quickly.


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.


The Russian aircraft flew in twos and threes, circling for strike runs on the airport and the base.


This initial Russian barrage badly damaged the largest transport aircraft ever made, the Ukrainian made Antonov An-225.


The defenders say they managed to down three Russian helicopters with missiles, and another two with heavy machine gun fire.


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.


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.


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.