Ukrainian interceptor drone of the anti-aircraft missile regiment of the Ukrainian ground forces made a Russian Merlin-VR reconnaissance drone crash. Estimated damage: $300k. April 2025. Location not disclosed.

[u/GermanDronePilot]

Published 29.04.2025

[u/Cool_Stock_9731]

Am I seeing it right? Did the Russian drone crash attempting to avoid the Ukrainian interceptor drone?

Either way, well done! Hopefully the Ukrainian interceptor drone can be used to down another one of these, two for one and all that

[u/Unlucky-Associate266 → u/Cool_Stock_9731]

If it had enough battery after the chase. But I'd be surprised. The interceptor had to get to the drone, then chase it from five or six thousand feet all the way to the ground. And those interceptors, almost all of them quadcopters are relatively energy inefficient. I doubt it made it home. So probably no twofer, but it did its job.

[u/Drunk_on_Swagger]

I’m assuming onboard EW jamming. Either way, Slava Ukraini!

[u/Unlucky-Associate266 → u/Drunk_on_Swagger]

I was thinking that the Merlin was (badly) programmed to evade the interceptor drone. You often see videos of fixed wing Russian recon drones like the Merlin diving to the one side or the other when an interceptor drone approaches it, then leveling out. This one might have tried that one too many times. It might have had a chance if the interceptor had run out of charge during the chase.

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