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.
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.
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.
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
