Russia uses 'night' UAV for first time to attack Ukraine

Ukraine says Russia has begun deploying suicide UAVs painted black and covered with radar-absorbent material to confuse air defenses.

Images that appeared on social media on November 25 showed the wreckage of a black suicide unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) found in Ukraine after an airstrike that took place early that morning.

"They are covered with carbon fiber and painted black. This can be a big problem for air defense forces, especially at night. The black color can make it difficult for mobile fire teams to detect targets, because they have to rely on the naked eye and headlights, while carbon fiber has the ability to absorb radar waves," Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ignat admitted.

Black UAV debris with the words Geran-2 found in Ukraine on November 25. Photo: Defence Blog — Black UAV debris with the words Geran-2 found in Ukraine on November 25. Photo: *Defence Blog*

This appears to be the first time Moscow has deployed a type of UAV known as "night shadow" to attack enemy targets.

"These are not the Shahed-238s that Iran has just introduced, but it seems that the Russian forces are interested in the idea of painting UAVs black to make it difficult for enemy air defenses. They have many times improved suicide UAVs purchased from Iran and domestic versions," Mr. Ignat added.

Ukraine said Russia deployed a record 75 Shahed-136/131 suicide drones in the airstrikes on the morning of November 25, with more than 60 aircraft targeting the capital Kiev. The Ukrainian Air Force stressed that this was the largest suicide drone attack on the country since the outbreak of hostilities, claiming to have shot down 71 of the targets.

Video released by Reuters shows the sound of a Russian drone's propeller and a fireball coming from the ground, as tracer rounds and shrapnel are fired into the sky over Kiev by Ukrainian air defenses. No Russian drones are shot down in the video , but at least one object is seen burning and falling in later photos.

Russia uses 'night' UAV for first time to attack Ukraine — Ukrainian air defense opened fire in the sky over Kiev in the early morning of November 25. Video: *Reuters*

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said debris from the intercepted suicide drones fell on city districts, injuring five people and starting several fires. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said the attack left 120 infrastructure facilities and 77 civilian buildings in central Kiev without power.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on the information.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on November 12 that Ukraine must prepare for the possibility that Russia will increase the number of missile and UAV strikes on infrastructure during the winter.

Ukrainian officials say they have reinforced defenses at key infrastructure sites to counter a Russian attack. Mr Zelensky said Ukraine’s air defenses were “stronger than last year”, but acknowledged that the country’s military was not yet capable of defending its entire territory and needed help from the West.

The situation of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Graphics: WP

Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure last winter severely damaged the country’s power grid, forcing many cities to cut off power and hot water on a rolling basis. Despite Kiev’s efforts to bolster its air defenses, officials fear the possibility of a repeat of the blackouts until the grid is fully restored.

Russia has also recently increased its use of missiles and UAVs to attack Ukrainian targets. Western experts say this is an effort to deplete Ukraine’s anti-aircraft ammunition and destroy its long-range weapons stores.

Vu Anh (According to Reuters, Defense Blog )

Source link