Russian drones imitate "Shahed" operations: an expert explains how Russia complicates air defense efforts

Russia is attempting to complicate the work of Ukraine’s air defense systems.

This was explained by Anatoliy Khrapchynsky, Deputy General Director of a company specializing in electronic warfare (EW), during a broadcast on Espreso TV.

"In fact, Russia has scaled up the production of its strike drones. For example, the "Gerbera" UAVs and other systems mimic the operation of "Shaheds". Electronic warfare systems are being used very actively, and we are seeing a large amount of information about lost "Shaheds" or strike UAVs due to the EW systems, which suppress their capabilities, causing these drones to land in fields or even return to Russia or Belarus," he said.

According to Khrapchynsky, countering such strike drones involves several stages.

"First, they need to be detected. Russia is making significant efforts to make the drones fly at low altitudes or, conversely, at high altitudes, making detection more difficult. After that, they need to be either suppressed by electronic warfare systems or physically destroyed. Physical destruction is now being carried out by mobile groups, which puts a strain on our forces working with machine guns or other interception tools. Here, we are talking about expanding the use of anti-aircraft drones, for example. However, for such operations, precise data is needed, which can be provided by detection systems. Work is ongoing, but the Russians are trying to modernize their drones, which is not surprising. Russia is installing Starlink on "Shaheds" and modifying antenna systems to resist electronic warfare. Russia is constantly trying to advance in this area, and we, of course, are looking for effective countermeasures," he added.

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