Vladimir Putin was left furious with his military leaders after Russian air defences reportedly shot down their own helicopter in a friendly fire fiasco.

Putin's army has lost a staggering 325 helicopters since the start of the invasion in February 2022.

And the losses continue to mount for Russia's beleaguered army bosses after a KA-27 was downed in the Crimea.

Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine's navy, confirmed the destruction of the helicopter in a Facebook post.

He wrote: "Minus one Russian Ka-27 in Crimea. It was on a search mission. And it found something."

These helicopters are stationed at the Kacha airbase in the Bakhchysarai district of Crimea.

They are mainly deployed to track Ukrainian naval drones and landing craft.

According to the website helistart.com, the Ka-27 costs around £6m.

Witnesses reported hearing a rocket launch in Sevastopol around 8.30m on Wednesday April 10. This was followed by a muffled explosion, similar to those heard during air defence operations.

The Helicopterpilot Telegram channel claimed that friendly fire had downed the Ka-27. The helicopter is armed with two torpedoes and a 7.62 mm machine gun mounted externally.

It is able to reach a cruising speed of 220 km/h and a maximum speed of 250 km/h. The Kremlin has also seen its airforce decimated, having lost 342 fighter jets.

In total, Russia is believed to have around 1,500 planes and helicopters at its disposal in Ukraine, meaning it has lost over 40 percent of its strategic aviation in just over two years.