Ukrainian officer outlines tactics to counter high-altitude Russian drones

He shared the information on Espreso TV.

"The Russians have started launching their drones at high altitudes because we are using systems like Gepard, as well as other machine gun and anti-aircraft gun systems. At an altitude of 2 km, our mobile groups cannot reach these drones with these systems; we can only shoot them down when the Russian UAVs lower their altitude. Therefore, we need to strike with other means, as those we are using are not effective against swarms of drones attacking from high altitudes. Russian drones approach the target almost vertically from above," commented the reserve major of the National Guard.

According to him, there are air defense systems capable of countering such Russian tactics. These are longer-range systems that our partners have. For example, the Skynex anti-aircraft artillery system uses shells that explode dozens of meters before reaching the target, creating a shotgun effect that destroys the entire “swarm.”

“There are appropriate systems and tactics to counter this. There’s nothing unusual or unexpected in what the Russians are doing. They are using different tactics, pulling out their manuals, and carrying out various types of raids from different altitudes and distances, attacking in groups or individually—this is all described in their textbooks and in the minds of those who have been trained. And how to counter this is also well-known. The question is whether we have the means to counter it. If Russia has started using this drone tactic, we will respond. We know how—the main thing is having the tools,” Oleksii Hetman noted.

• On March 20, the Russian army launched drones against Ukraine. Explosions were heard in Odesa and its suburbs, Kremenchuk, and Sumy, with casualties reported in Zaporizhzhia.
• Serhii Hrabskiy, military expert and retired colonel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, says that Russia is continuously increasing the number of drones, launching them in groups at high altitudes.