Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence modifies used A-22s into long-range drones - Forbes
Ukrainian aircraft Aeroprakt A-22 (Illustrative photo: partybus.ua)
The attack on the OMON base in the Chechen capital of Grozny on December 15 was most likely carried out using a long-range drone, developed based on the Ukrainian-made sport aircraft Aeroprakt A-22. The drone was filled with explosives and flew approximately one thousand kilometers to its target, reports Forbes.
According to the American business magazine, the strike on the special forces base in Grozny on Sunday morning was the latest in a series of attacks using the Aeroprakt A-22, which the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate has modified into one-way strike drones since the beginning of this year.
With a range of up to 1,300 kilometers and an additional fuel tank, along with remote targeting systems and explosive payloads, the A-22 aircraft drones, valued at $90,000, have already targeted, among other sites, a drone factory, a missile research center, and a naval base with ships, Forbes reports.
Footage taken by witnesses in Grozny during the December 15 raid revealed some new details about the homemade strike drone, the publication states.
This morning a kamikaze drone made on the base of Aeroprakt A-22 Foxbat targeted an OMON base in Grozny, Russia (Kadyrov's capital). pic.twitter.com/eUonfXqajE
— Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) December 15, 2024
Firstly, the drone that struck the special forces base had opaque covers that concealed the normally transparent glass around the cockpit of the A-22 (which can accommodate two people in its manned configuration).
It is also possible that the drone previously had a registration number on its tail (footage of the December 15 strike likely shows a patch of paint above the number).
"That might indicate that the intelligence directorate is sourcing used A-22s for its drone program rather than taking all the airframes directly from the Aeroprakt factory in Kyiv," Forbes writes.
The strike caused a fiery explosion, but there was no debris wave, which one might expect from a specially designed munition for long-range strikes, such as the British Storm Shadow cruise missile.
In comparison, the Storm Shadow features a tandem warhead - one designed to penetrate the target and the other for explosion inside. The A-22, by contrast, appears to have a simpler unitary warhead.
Additionally, the Storm Shadow or a similar missile flies at a speed of around 965 km/h, providing greater penetration power. In contrast, the A-22, which sacrifices speed for range, has a maximum speed of about 200 km/h.
The lack of penetrating power may not be significant if the target is not fortified, armored, or underground.
Drone strike on Grozny on December 15
On Sunday morning, a series of explosions were heard in the Grozny, Chechen capital. Residents reported that about two drones had fallen in the city. It was reported that one drone struck the building of the second Chechen special forces regiment, while the other hit an OMON base.
Footage shared online showed that the aerial object resembled a small aircraft.
Earlier, a similar drone attack occurred in Grozny. On the night of December 12, strike drones targeted the building of the second Ministry of Internal Affairs regiment in Grozny.
Additionally, on December 4, drones attacked the Kadyrov special forces regiment, resulting in injuries.
Ukrainian aircraft-drones
In April, Western media reported that Ukraine had turned another sports aircraft into a long-range strike drone. This refers to the glider adaptation of the Nynja drone, which can be purchased from the Kyiv-based company Aerosor.
The Nynja is similar in shape, size, and specifications to another Ukrainian sports drone, an adaptation of the local Aeroprakt A-22 aircraft. One of these drones rammed the industrial campus of the Alabuga Special Economic Zone on April 2, damaging a factory that produced Shahed drones for the Russian army.
