Russia uses new reconnaissance drone before Shahed attacks

Russian troops have begun launching a new type of reconnaissance drone over Ukraine ahead of attacks by Shahed-type loitering munitions.

Source: radio technology expert Serhii Flesh, who posted a photo of a new drone after it was shot down

Details: The new drone visually resembles the Shahed itself, which allows it to blend in and mislead Ukrainian air defence units. Its main function is to reconnoitre the routes of incoming attack drones and to detect mobile air defence fire groups.

The drone flies at an altitude of 1 to 3 km and is capable of transmitting video over a distance of more than 50 km using a 1.2 analogue transmitter. It is controlled via the ExpressLRS system, which provides stable radio communication and a high data refresh rate.

Thanks to these capabilities, the drone allows the Russians to quickly assess the situation on flight paths, identify weaknesses in air defence and adjust the attack plan.

Background:

• On 21 June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that Ukraine has begun using specialised interceptors to destroy Russian Shahed-type drones. He said that mobile fire groups, which had previously relied mainly on machine guns, are now equipped with new interceptor drones. Today, these mobile units shoot down "about a third" of Russian loitering munitions.
• Four companies are involved in the production of such interceptors, and Ukraine is set to soon receive additional financial support from Germany and Canada to accelerate their mass production.

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