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​Ukrainian Air Defense Shot Another Handicraft Drone

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This Orlan-type drone was downed on August 19 by EW units of the Ukrainian airborne forces / Photo credit: Air Assault Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
This Orlan-type drone was downed on August 19 by EW units of the Ukrainian airborne forces / Photo credit: Air Assault Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The infamous russian "import substitution" becomes a trend

Ukrainian air defense units have downed four russian UAVs on August 19, the Joint Forces Task Force reports, and soon after Ukrainian paratroopers show pictures of a wrecked Orlan-10 drone taken down today.

Troops of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces found an ordinary commercial photo camera and a water tank fixed inside this unmanned vehicle. Notably, we have already seen such "improved" Orlans before. Yet this time around russian engineers used both of their developments at once: the "Canon-view" optics and the water-tank fuel tank.

Read more: ​Russians Try to Find Substitutes For Aircraft Components – Ukrainian Intel
The two-in-one russian upgrade to the Orlan-type unmanned aerial system. As we know, there is only the bode of the plane that is russian-manufactured in this drone / Photo credit: Air Assault Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The possible reason behind this practice, which seems to be not just occasional, is the lack of imported components caused by export restrictions imposed by multiple Western countries.

For instance, the "normal" camera includes a Lynred thermal imaging matrix of French manufacture, among other parts.

However, we still don’t see that many handcrafted russian drones to say this know-how has become common. Still, russian troops "on the ground" definitely know the value of their drones and even find ways to keep them safe from interception.

Read more: Russia is losing its Arms Export Potential as to War in Ukraine