Why Shahed drones return to Russia or Belarus: Expert's explanation
Illustrative photo: Shahed drones fly to Russia and Belarus (Getty Images)
Russian kamikaze drones, Shaheds, may return to Russia or fly into Belarusian territory due to significant software failures caused by electronic warfare systems, stated Oleh Katkov, the editor-in-chief of Defense Express, in a commentary to the RBC-Ukraine's YouTube channel.
He noted that when a Shahed loses satellite navigation under the influence of electronic warfare (EW), it starts flying in a straight line and begins to "wander."
After flying out of the EW range, the drone regains satellite navigation, realizes it has missed its target and returns. It continues circling until it runs out of fuel.
"This is a very cautious assumption, but in these cases where the drones return to Russian territory, it's likely due to such a powerful software failure in the navigation system that they simply set a magnetic course to zero - directly north - and end up flying to Belarus or Russia," Katkov clarified.
Shahed drones in Belarus
Russian Shahed drones have been repeatedly spotted in Belarusian airspace. For example, on the night of September 26, four kamikaze drones flew into Belarusian airspace. Notably, one of the drones entered Belarus from the territory of Russia, not Ukraine.
Additionally, according to Ukraine's Air Force, during today's Shahed attack on Ukraine, three drones returned to Russian territory.
