In the early morning, three attack helicopters take off from a secret base in Ukraine, flying low towards the eastern city of Bahkmut. As they approach their target, they suddenly rise, firing a hail of rockets, before taking a sharp turn and returning to their base, all at a dangerously low altitude. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion a little over a year ago, Ukrainian helicopter pilots have been flying dangerous combat missions every day at the controls of their old MI-8 and MI-24 aircraft. "After you start the engine your fear disappears, as you were trained for this, you trust yourself and your crew," MI-8 pilot Petro says. "So you start the flight with no fear, relying only on your skills and what you've learnt over the past five years," he adds. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES