Fighters from the Kotyky (Cats) platoon of the 130th Territorial Defense Battalion have released a video showing the first recorded instance of a Russian Mavic reconnaissance drone being destroyed by a weapon dropped on it from above by another drone.
In the footage, which Kyiv Post was unable to independently verify, a precise hit takes down the Russian drone after which the Ukrainian drone continues on its way.
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“This is the first recorded case of an enemy Mavic being shot down with an ammunition drop! Even David Copperfield would envy such a beautiful disappearance!” the video caption reads.
Defense Express reported that shooting down a drone using a drop requires a high level of skill from the operator.
“It also takes sheer luck to catch the moment when the enemy drone hovers in place, and it mustn’t fly off to the side at the moment of impact. Hitting a moving target with a drop is nearly impossible,” the report added.
Because of the level of skill required, Defense Express believes this method of downing Russian drones will not become widespread, especially compared with anti-aircraft FPV drones, which have proven highly effective in countering Russian reconnaissance UAVs.
Both Russian and Ukrainian forces are experimenting with ways to intercept and destroy each other’s drones.
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Defense Express said that Russian forces continue trying to bring down Ukrainian drones using anti-aircraft FPV tactics.
Earlier, a video emerged showing one drone crashing into another in a “ramming” attempt. In this instance, a Russian anti-aircraft FPV drone collided with a Ukrainian “Fury” drone. However, the Ukrainian drone successfully stabilized and returned with only minor damage.
Ukrainian military consultant Serhii Beskrestnov, who operates under the pseudonym “Flash,” shared a video on Sept. 30 showing a Russian anti-aircraft drone shooting down a Ukrainian UAV.
“They’ll take down our reconnaissance drones faster than we’ll destroy theirs. They not only have Zala drones, producing 200-300 per month but also Supercams and others,” he wrote.
Beskrestnov also reported that Russian drone operators claim they receive replacement drones within 24 hours after one is shot down.
In a related development, Russian drone operators have started installing rear-view cameras on their UAVs to counter Ukrainian FPV drone attacks. This was discovered after Ukrainian forces posted video of a Russian ZALA 42 drone fitted with a rear-view camera being shot down.
However, Defense Express questioned the effectiveness of using the camera because, even if they see the FPV drone coming reconnaissance drones lack the agility needed for aerial maneuvers.
Several videos reviewed by Kyiv Post show other Russian attempts to protect their drones, including painting them black to make them harder to spot or marking them with Ukrainian symbols.
In response to Ukraine’s growing use of anti-aircraft FPV drones to target Russian UAVs, Russian forces have reportedly begun attaching nails to their drones during aerial battles in an attempt to damage the attacking drone rotors during close encounters, according to an instructor from a reconnaissance and FPV drone school speaking to Russian media.
Defense Express also cast doubts on this technique, suggesting the “nail drone” tactic is likely an improvised method used by individual units. A Ukrainian FPV drone operator interviewed by Kyiv Post dismissed the idea, saying that adding nails only increases the drone’s weight, providing little practical advantage in combat.
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