Russian troops' improvisations: drones terrorizing civilians. Serhiy Zgurets' column

Another Russian air attack

On the evening of April 30, Russia launched another missile and drone attack on Ukraine, using 5 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 170 drones, along with other types of drones. Ukrainian forces shot down 42 drones. The attack targeted several regions, including Odesa, where two people were killed, five were injured, and residential buildings were damaged. Attacks were also reported in Kyiv.

Dangerous submunitions in Russian drones

Regarding the strikes on the Ukrainian capital, reports indicated that Shahed drones were scattering new warheads that exploded, presumably causing civilian injuries.

Experts at the scene clarified that the debris was not from Shahed drones, but from a downed Gerbera drone — a simplified version of the Shahed, packed with various explosive elements.

The photo shows the exploding elements. The Gerbera drone was shot down around 1 a.m., and its submunitions started exploding in the morning, around 6 a.m., at intervals of 10 to 40 minutes. In total, there were 10 explosions, with black tubes containing explosives detonating.

The Gerbera is not a serialized combat unit and is used for various purposes. There are no standardized combat units for it — only improvised solutions by the Russian military. Regardless, these actions are aimed at terrorism, primarily targeting civilians.

Similar cases were recorded a month ago when these submunitions were found in Kyiv and its surroundings. This was the first instance of such dangerous explosive devices being reported by Ukrainian authorities.

Intercepting and destroying Russian drones

Valeriy Romanenko, an aviation expert and leading researcher at the State Aviation Museum, explained that the Gerbera drone has three main modifications: the first is a fake target to distract air defense, the second is a cheap reconnaissance drone that makes a short flight and returns, and the third is a strike drone with a warhead of 4-5 kg of explosives. 

While the Gerbera can cause some damage, it is no more destructive than an FPV drone. Its main advantage is its longer flight range. The drone is relatively large, with a wingspan of 2.5 meters and a length of 2.4 meters, though it is not a high-speed drone. At the museum, in the exhibition of downed Russian equipment, there is a sample of its engine, a model airplane engine with 7 horsepower, which visitors can hold.

The Gerbera drone is not capable of carrying a serious warhead or sophisticated equipment. Its entire structure, including the wings and fuselage, is made of foam, with the ailerons, surfaces that serve as both elevators and ailerons, likely made of plywood. Overall, it is a quite ineffective weapon.

The aviation expert also noted that shooting down drones is a very difficult task for a fighter jet, much more challenging than targeting a cruise missile. A cruise missile is an expensive asset, and it is more efficient to shoot it down with a short- or medium-range aircraft missile. However, shooting down a Shahed with a missile is economically inefficient. Ukraine currently lacks sufficient missiles to target drones from an aircraft with guided munitions. Unfortunately, the cheap missiles being integrated into F-16 aircraft — 70 mm Hydra missiles, converted from unguided to laser-guided — are three times cheaper than the Shahed. The United States has not yet transferred this technology to Ukraine, although it is already used in ground-based systems.

Romanenko pointed out that drones are often destroyed with guns. The speed of a cruise missile and a fighter jet is similar, creating the effect of an almost stationary target. In contrast, the minimum speed of a fighter jet is 500 km/h, while the Shahed flies at just over 180 km/h. Additionally, the 30-mm shells used in fighter jet guns can cause the drone's warhead to explode, and the resulting debris could damage the fighter jet's air intakes. Ukraine has already lost two aircraft this way. While dangerous, using guns to intercept and destroy the Shahed remains one of the most effective methods for Ukraine.

How Ukrainian military shoots down Shaheds

Aviation systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, and mobile groups within the Ukrainian Defense Forces are all used to shoot down drones. While these mobile groups rely on less powerful weapons compared to air defense systems or aviation, they are still quite effective.

According to OSINT analysts, in April, Russian forces launched 2,399 unmanned systems of the Shahed type or drones imitating them. Of these, 1,157 UAVs were shot down. These figures are similar to those from the previous month. However, it’s worth noting that in March, the number of Shaheds launched was approximately 4,000.

An officer with the call sign Hlamurnyi, head of the reconnaissance group of Ukraine's 638th separate anti-aircraft machine gun battalion, reported a growing trend in the number of Russian air targets. Since the 638th Battalion was established, it has destroyed 150 Russian unmanned aerial vehicles. A single mobile fire group can eliminate 5-6 air targets in one day. The most effective tool for defeating Russian drones is a large-caliber machine gun, which the mobile group is equipped with. Additionally, the group has UAV detection equipment, including thermal imaging sights, searchlights, and laser target designators, which help visually fix and track targets. The effective range of the mobile fire team is up to 1.5 km.

The serviceman explained that radar and acoustic detection methods are used to identify enemy air targets. If a drone flies low and evades radar detection, mobile fire teams perform acoustic listening. If the target cannot be hit due to distance, weather, or terrain, the mobile group relays the acoustic detection to the general coordination system, which includes the direction and altitude of the aircraft. Other mobile fire groups can then intercept the target. All targets within a fire group’s kill zone are destroyed.

The head of the reconnaissance group added that members of mobile firing groups undergo professional training at training centers as machine gunners and gunners. Simulators are used to visualize the detection, engagement, and destruction of air targets. Alongside military training, the methods and equipment for destroying Russian targets over Ukrainian territory are continuously being improved.