• • CONTACTS
  • • PRIVACY POLICY
  • • GADGETS & TECHNOLOGIES
AERONAUT.media
  • NEWS:
  • • Aviation
  • • UAVs & drones
  • • Flying weapon
  • • Space
  • ARTICLES
  • Language:
  • EN
  • UA
No Result
View All Result
  • NEWS:
  • • Aviation
  • • UAVs & drones
  • • Flying weapon
  • • Space
  • ARTICLES
  • Language:
  • EN
  • UA
No Result
View All Result
AERONAUT.media
No Result
View All Result
Home News UAVs & drones news

Ukrainian Forces Destroy Several Rare Russian Reconnaissance Drones

Svitlana Anisimova by Svitlana Anisimova
12/09/2024
in UAVs & drones news
0
Merlin-VR
3
SHARES
15
VIEWS

Ukraine successfully intercepted and destroyed a pair of expensive Russian reconnaissance drones using significantly cheaper FPV drones. The targets were the Supercam drones and the experimental “Merlin-VR” UAV.

Мерлін-ВР

The interception was reported by Serhiy Sternenko on his Twitter account. The post included a video showing the downing of the reconnaissance drones. It was noted that this was accomplished by the 38th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

У росіян мінус Суперкам та рідкісний Мєрлін завдяки воїнам 38 бригади морської піхоти та програмі «Небесний русоріз»! pic.twitter.com/6IBxWJNfLd

— Serhii Sternenko ✙ (@sternenko) September 9, 2024

Additionally, the official Telegram account of the National Guard of Ukraine recently shared a video showing how soldiers from the “Rubizh” brigade shot down another “Merlin-VR” drone. This occurred in the Lyman-Kupiansk direction, and once again, the experimental drone, worth up to $500,000, was taken down using an FPV drone.

“The video shows how the Ukrainian FPV drone catches up to the reconnaissance UAV just moments before the explosion. The connection is lost right before impact, leaving the ‘winged scout’ with zero chances of survival,” the post reads.

The “Merlin-VR” drone was introduced by Russia in 2021, with its developers claiming that it could fly at altitudes of up to 5 km and remain airborne for up to 10 hours. The drone was hailed as a “technological breakthrough,” boasting near-silent operation, enhanced optics, and the ability to conduct advanced reconnaissance in both automatic and semi-automatic modes. In reality, the loss of each such drone is significant. According to the intelligence group Oryx, since February 2022, Ukraine has shot down only two of these drones, although the actual losses may be higher, as Oryx tracks only visually confirmed incidents.

The “Merlin-VR” drone was developed by the Russian Scientific Research Institute of Modern Telecommunications Technologies. It was claimed to have a hybrid engine that reduces acoustic detectability. However, when Ukrainian forces shot down such a UAV in June 2022 and disassembled it, no hybrid technology was found. Instead, it had a standard engine, along with thermal imaging optics made in France, an Israeli lens, and a Chinese starter-generator.

Мерлін-ВР

This interception once again highlights Ukraine’s creative approach to using relatively inexpensive FPV drones to destroy more advanced and costly Russian systems. Meanwhile, Russia’s reliance on imported components for its military drones, including technologies from France, Israel, and China, raises ongoing questions about the true level of its domestic defense capabilities. It also prompts broader concerns about how they continue to acquire these parts despite international sanctions.

Source: defence-blog

Tags: DronesNewsUkraine
ShareTweetShareShareShareSharePin2
Previous Post

Sweden Retains the Option to Transfer JAS-39 Gripen Jets to Ukraine

Next Post

Prototype of Chinese J-20A Fighter with WS-15 Engine Shown in Photos for the First Time

Svitlana Anisimova

Svitlana Anisimova

I'm addicted to books and stationery, and love everything with flour, sugar, and the hate-to-love trope. Have a lot of guilty pleasures for one girl, and don’t feel guilty about it.

RelatedPosts

Nebo-M radar station
UAVs & drones news

Ukrainian Southern Defense Forces Destroy Critical “Nebo-M” Radar Using Drones

03/07/2025
128
UKRSPECSYSTEMS
UAVs & drones news

Ukrainian UKRSPECSYSTEMS Showcases Next-Generation Drones at IDS 2025 Exhibition

03/07/2025
118
MQ-28A Ghost Bat
UAVs & drones news

MQ-28A Ghost Bat Combat Drone Completes First Field Trials

28/06/2025
1k
Shahed-136
UAVs & drones news

Ukrainian Intelligence Reveals Components of Upgraded Shahed-136 with Camera and AI

27/06/2025
444
Ukrainian anti-shahed drone
UAVs & drones news

Ukraine Unveils New Drone Designed to Counter Shahed Attacks

25/06/2025
534
mosquito-sized microdrone
UAVs & drones news

Micro-Spy Technologies: China Tests Insect-Sized Drones

25/06/2025
475
Next Post
J-20A Prototype

Prototype of Chinese J-20A Fighter with WS-15 Engine Shown in Photos for the First Time

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe

  • Bluesky
  • Facebook
  • Mastodon
  • RSS
  • Twitter

RSS Gadgets & Technologies

  • A Look at JSAUX Accessories for Switch 2 04/07/2025
  • How to Use a HEIC Duplicate Finder to Manage HEIC and JPG Duplicates 04/07/2025
  • Smartphone Worth Considering: 5 Key Advantages of the POCO F7 04/07/2025
  • How to Reduce RAM Usage in Windows 11 04/07/2025
  • How useful the RTX 5070 Ti REALLY is? 04/07/2025

Recent Comments

  • Vladyslav Surkov on A-10 Thunderbolt II Attack Aircraft Escort Nuclear Submarine Wyoming During Drills
  • Vladyslav Surkov on A-10 Thunderbolt II Attack Aircraft Escort Nuclear Submarine Wyoming During Drills

Recent Posts

  • Ukrainian Southern Defense Forces Destroy Critical “Nebo-M” Radar Using Drones
  • Ukrainian UKRSPECSYSTEMS Showcases Next-Generation Drones at IDS 2025 Exhibition
  • B-2 Spirit Bomber to Receive Upgrades to Communications and Survivability
  • U.S. Delays Launch of Early-Warning Satellite
  • Pentagon to retire A-10 Thunderbolt II fleet in 2026

SWITCH LANGUAGE:

  • EN
  • UA
  • • CONTACTS
  • • PRIVACY POLICY
  • • GADGETS & TECHNOLOGIES

© 2024-2025 AERONAUT.media

No Result
View All Result
  • NEWS:
  • • Aviation
  • • UAVs & drones
  • • Flying weapon
  • • Space
  • ARTICLES
  • Language:
  • EN
  • UA

© 2024-2025 AERONAUT.media