Flock of drones can penetrate Moscow’s air defense on May 9, - Volodymyr Yatsenko

“The campaign can be successful mainly because of the large number of drones launched toward the terrorist-state capital city. There’s a Ukrainian proverb, “As a group, we will beat the hell out of the devil”. The duel of air defense and drones that we see in recent times shows that a flock of 20 UAVs can penetrate any air defense system. It can be seen as an example of Shaheds [Iran-made drones “Shahed”], which are essentially rather primitive, but because of their numbers, they can break through the most modern air defense. The “Pantsir”, like any other missile defense system, can be effective against several UAVs, but won’t be able to take down a whole flock of drones. 30 to 50 drones will overcome any “Pantsir” complex, even if there are three or four of them securing the Red Square”, said Volodymyr Yatsenko in "Focus" interview.

According to him, the competition has gained the attention of many Ukrainian UAV constructors, yet Yatsenko will not disclose the exact number of those actually ready and willing to participate in the May 9 campaign. Moreover, in his interview for “Focus”, Volodymyr emphasized that even russian drone manufacturers are interested in competing for the cash prize.

“The money at stake is solid, and this resonates with some of the russian model aircraft enthusiasts. For them, the distance to the Red Square can be less, but the risk of getting apprehended by FSB (Federal Security Service of russian federation) is way more tangible”, said Volodymyr Yatsenko.