Direct proof of use
The Ka-27 is documented in Russian service in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through Ukrainian official reporting relayed by established Ukrainian news outlets. On February 17, 2026, Ukraine's General Staff said Ukrainian forces struck a Russian shipborne Ka-27 near Kamyshly in occupied Crimea and recorded a direct hit.
On March 5, 2026, Ukraine's Navy said Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian shipborne anti-submarine Ka-27 over the Black Sea. Ukrainska Pravda, citing the Ukrainian Naval Forces, described the loss during a night operation by the Naval Forces and Special Operations Forces against Russian troops on the Syvash drilling rig at the Holitsyn gas field.
Sources: NV Ka-27 Kamyshly Strike, NV Ka-27 Black Sea, Ukrainska Pravda Ka-27 Syvash
Narrative
The documented use fits the Ka-27 family's shipborne naval role rather than a ground-attack role. The sources identify Russian aircraft around occupied Crimea and the Black Sea, where Russia used maritime platforms and coastal positions for surveillance, communications, electronic-warfare, air-defense, and drone-control functions.
The Syvash incident is the clearest sourced event. Ukrainska Pravda reported that Russian personnel and a Ka-27 trying to land on the drilling rig were attacked with uncrewed maritime drones and aerial unmanned aircraft, while command and communications systems on the rig were also hit. Defense Express assessed the released footage as showing an FPV strike on the Ka-27 during its landing attempt and cautioned that the exact launch point and naval-drone model were not shown.
Sources: Ukrainska Pravda Ka-27 Syvash, Defense Express Ka-27 FPV Strike, UNITED24 Ka-27 FPV Strike