Russia changes drone routes and controls Shaheds in real time, Ukraine says
Head of Communications for the Ukrainian Air Force Command Yurii Ihnat (photo: facebook.com/yuriy.ignat)
Russian forces are using routes along the Belarusian border and jet-powered drones with online control to attack Ukraine, said Yurii Ihnat, head of communications for the Ukrainian Air Force Command.
Russian forces often launch attack drones, including jet-powered Shaheds, flying close to the border with Belarus. They enter through the Kyiv Reservoir and maneuver at different altitudes.
At the same time, this is not the only direction — Russian forces also launch massive attacks from the south and from the Sumy and Chernihiv regions. Air defense forces shoot down a significant number of drones, but destroying all targets is impossible due to weather conditions and the limited availability of air defense systems in specific locations.
In addition to drones flying along precisely programmed coordinates, another danger is that some of the drones are controlled online. For this, Russian forces use mesh networks, in which each drone serves as a signal relay for the control station.
"Thanks to operators at command posts, the Russians can assess the situation in real time, distinguish decoys from real targets, and select priority targets. Russian forces have repeatedly attempted to hit trains, locomotives, and vehicles of mobile fire groups while they were moving," Ihnat said.
Intercepting enemy targets
To intercept jet-powered Shaheds, the Ukrainian military actively uses tactical aviation. Ihnat said that Ukrainian fighter pilots are doing a great job, destroying enemy targets not only with missiles but also with aircraft cannons.
"This is precision work that Mirages, F-16s, and even MiG-29 aircraft are carrying out today, taking risks, undoubtedly taking risks, but there is no other way to shoot them down. And so, if a jet-powered Shahed is flying very fast, if it is flying very high, then we have to rely on this method of shooting it down, namely with the help of our tactical aviation and fighter pilots," Ihnat noted.
He added that surface-to-air missile systems, MANPADS, and laser-guided missiles are also operating on the ground.
Ihnat recently reported that Russia has significantly increased its use of jet-powered drones. He noted that Kyiv remains one of the main directions of Russian attacks.
