Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces informed that another russian UAV of the "Orion" type has been shot down by air defense. This recon and attack drone was spotted in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine and taken down on February 9 afternoon.
"With the help of installed optic sights, the 'Orion' UAV can watch over the area and search for a target. It can launch strikes on ground targets with guided rockets and air bombs," noted the Air Force Command.
Read more: Russia’s Orion UAV Downed In Ukraine: Specifications of the Strike Drone
According to the estimates by OSINT-project Oryx, only two of them have been destroyed so far in Ukraine. However, for the Ukrainian military officials, it is the fourth time they claim they had taken such a drone down, and it is worth taking note of.
The first time it was said to be destroyed in the skies of Ukraine in April 2022, then another one in September, and one more in December of the same year. Notably, at least three of these "Orions" were taken down in the southern regions of Ukraine. This may be due to the fact that some of them were stationed at the airfield in occupied Crimea.
According to Defense Express, as of the beginning of 2022, the russian army had only one complex consisting of three Orion UAVs which makes the appearance of a potential fourth unit noteworthy.
In 2022 summer, Kremlin's propaganda media announced plans to increase the production of Orion drones. The Military Balance 2022 states that russia expects 21 Orion drones to be delivered to the russian ministry of defense by the end of 2023.
So far, there are no photos of the UAV downed on February 9. As soon as details appear, we can find out whether this unit was one of those produced over the past half year.
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