A Russian helicopter may have been taken down by a mouse which chewed wires in a further humiliating blow.
Images of the KA-52, also known as the "Alligator", as a burnt-out wreck show a dead mouse inside a control module.
It has raised questions about sloppy Russian maintenance standards, as Moscow continues to suffer substantial losses to its military hardware.
Vladimir Putin's military has reportedly lost roughly 150 helicopters, as well as 171 planes and over 800 tanks.
Ukraine’s staunch defence against the invasion has resulted in the deaths of 21,800 Russian fighters, it was claimed last night.
As the scale of Russia ’s military losses were laid bare in new figures released by the Ukrainian Land Forces, it emerged that more children were killed in indiscriminate shelling by Putin’s army.
Two girls, aged five and 14, died when a residential building in Ocheretynsk, in the Donetsk region, was hit.
Their tragic deaths mean 213 children have lost their lives in the conflict, the day after a three-month-old baby died with her young mother and grandmother when their home was hit in a rocket attack in Odesa.
A further 389 children have been seriously injured since Putin launched his offensive on February 24.
Military incompetence and poor preparation are thought to be hampering Russia’s plans.
Troop losses have been put down to poor tactical decisions by Russian leaders and a considerable underestimation of the capabilities of Ukraine ’s armed forces.
Commanders are targeting civilians, as well as Ukrainian bases and weapons depots in retribution for the resistance.
The latest statistics showed that a total of 873 tanks are said to have been destroyed, along with 2238 armoured vehicles, 179 planes, 154 helicopters and 408 artillery systems.
Russia’s biggest humiliation was suffered when its Black Sea fleet flagship sank after it was hit by two missiles.
On February 24, Russia’s land army consisted of 280,000 full-time active soldiers compared with Ukraine’s 125,600.