The UAV was discovered and destroyed by the Northern Fleet Marines in Russia’s Kherson Region, the ministry has said © the Russian Defense Ministry
A Ukrainian heavy Baba Yaga-type drone has been detected and destroyed in Kherson Region, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Saturday. The ministry also released a video purportedly capturing the moment the UAV was taken down.
According to Moscow, the bomber drone was detected during a reconnaissance mission by a Russian UAV operator in the Kakhovka direction in the region. In a statement to journalists, the military said that the Baba Yaga-type drone was flying using Starlink satellite communications and so wasn’t subject to the influence of electronic warfare systems.
“Having assessed the situation, the drone operator decided to attack the enemy’s heavy attack copter. The objective control footage shows how the UAV operator of the Northern Fleet Marines entered a convenient trajectory and rammed the enemy drone. The heavy quadcopter Baba Yaga fell down and crashed, without causing harm to our servicemen,” the ministry said.
© the Russian Defense Ministry
The ‘Baba Yaga’ designation is used to describe a type of heavy industrial drone that has been modified by the Ukrainian military for combat purposes. Named after a witch-like character from Slavic folklore, these hexacopters have a large carrying capacity and good navigation, and are capable of autonomous movement. However, they are quite large, have very noisy propellers and generally fly at slow speeds at a low altitude, making them relatively easy to neutralize.
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Over the past 24 hours, Russian air defense systems have also shot down three US-made HIMARS projectiles and 104 Ukrainian drones, including 57 outside the combat zone, the ministry has said.
