Arms supplies are extremely important for Ukraine. But in times of need, the country itself becomes inventive when it comes to war equipment. This is proven by the use of hobby drones, which are equipped with hand grenades by a start-up and can cause considerable damage.

In the fight against Russian troops, Ukraine relies on a weapon of war that is as improvised as it is insidious: hobby drones. Images of destroyed Russian tanks and buildings prove that the drones equipped with grenades can cause amazing damage.

The Ukrainian start-up Aerorozvidka plays a particularly important role in the Ukrainian drone war. The company, which was founded after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, usually equips commercial drones, such as the Chinese DJI drones, with grenades that are actually used for ground combat.

Since these only weigh two to four kilos, the drones can transport several grenades at the same time. The aircraft with eight propellers can then transport the hand grenades in the air for up to 40 minutes and drop them over a specific target. For this purpose, the start-up is currently working on a new target system that is constantly being further developed.

By releasing multiple grenades, targets could then be hit with great accuracy. This is reported by Sascha Lange, bavAIRia’s aerospace and defense expert, in an interview with “Welt”. However, the drones are very sensitive to the weather and could drop the grenades imprecisely in windy conditions.

“This is not an all-weather system,” explains Lange. Therefore, the Ukrainian start-up would modify the drones and stabilize them with small fins at the rear, which were probably made using a 3D printer.

The drones still have an invaluable advantage: They usually remain undetected during their deployment. Because they’re made of plastic, Russian radars can’t pick them up, Lange says. In addition, the drones are very quiet. This would allow them to scout out areas, especially at night, with the help of infrared cameras and drop grenades from low altitudes. According to the aerospace expert, there is still no system that can fend off the drones.

As experts estimate, the drone as a weapon of war will therefore continue to be of great relevance in the future. After all, effort and costs are low. The yield, on the other hand, is high.

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