"Beavers" against "Shells". Technical aspects of the Ukrainian attack
The flight of a Ukrainian UAV over a village near Moscow. Photo Telegram / Dambiev
On the morning of May 30, the Kiev regime tried to attack Moscow using several unmanned aerial vehicles. The recently developed Drones strike purpose with a built-in warhead. Despite the novelty, they did not cope with the tasks. The devices were shot down or suppressed, as a result of which the damage from the attack was minimal.
Course of events
An unsuccessful attempt to attack Moscow took place on the morning of 30 May. Several Ukrainian UAVs approached the capital from a western direction; probably they were sent to important objects in the city. However, the devices fell into the zone of action of air defense and electronic warfare, as a result of which they did not complete the task.
Soon the Ministry of Defense revealed the details of this situation. According to him, eight aircraft-type drones were involved in the raid. Five air targets were shot down by Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile and gun systems over the Moscow region. Three more suppressed unnamed electronic warfare systems. These UAVs deviated from the assigned course.
Unfortunately, there has been some damage. The suppressed aircraft, having lost their original course, ended up over Moscow and crashed into three residential buildings. The impacts and explosions damaged the external elements of buildings, knocked out windows and damaged apartments. Two residents of the affected apartments asked for help due to minor injuries.
The work of ZRPK "Pantsir-S" on UAVs. Photo Telegram / Dambiev
Specialists from the Ministry of Defense and law enforcement agencies studied the scenes of the incidents. The wreckage of Ukrainian UAVs was collected for the necessary examinations. The Investigative Committee opened a case under the article "Terrorism" and establishes those involved in the attack. The Ministry of Defense, in turn, is studying the downed UAVs to further improve the forces and means of air defense.
Objective evidence
Already on the morning of May 30, shortly after the raid, videos began to appear on social networks showing the overflight of Ukrainian UAVs and the work of our air defense. In addition, later in the major media there were photographs of the wreckage of the downed devices or those that hit the houses. All this allows us to determine the possible type of drones used and draw the following conclusions.
Most of the published videos show the flight of an aircraft-type UAV built according to the "duck" scheme. The fragments caught in the frame make it possible to estimate its size: the wingspan can be about 3-3,5 m. Apparently, it was precisely such devices that were used for the strike.
One of the damaged houses in Moscow. Photo Telegram / Dambiev
In hot pursuit, it was reported that the well-known UJ-22 Airborne unmanned aircraft was also used in the attack. As evidence, a video was cited with his flight somewhere over the Moscow Ring Road. However, this was a mistake - a Cessna 172 civilian aircraft, which had nothing to do with the whole situation, got into the frame.
Unmanned "Beaver"
Downed and suppressed Ukrainian UAVs were built according to the canard scheme, and their airframe was made of composite material. It seems that the Kiev regime has begun to use the Beaver-type attack drones developed and introduced in the recent past.
Judging by the available data, the development of the Beaver began last year. The main directorate of intelligence could act as the customer of this equipment. The performer of the work and the manufacturer of the finished UAVs are still unknown. It is reported that the development and production of such equipment was paid not only by the customer organization. 20 million hryvnias collected by volunteers were invested in the project.
In early May, one of the Ukrainian bloggers for the first time showed the finished product "Beaver" or its layout. It was alleged that only donations managed to build five such products. In addition, without any evidence, it was said about the beginning of the use of these UAVs and about the great damage that they allegedly already inflicted on the Russian army.
Blogger-donor and UAV "Beaver". Photo Focus.ua
However, all this was just baseless boasting. At the time of the first demonstration, nothing was known about the use of the Beaver. For the first time, such UAVs were noticed in the sky only at the end of May over Krasnodar - a few days before the events in Moscow. However, it can be expected that new drones will continue to be used, and our air defense will again have to repel attacks.
Recognizable appearance
Not too much is known about the Ukrainian UAV "Bober". Its appearance is shown and some design features are known. It is noteworthy that these details became known from the results of a recent unsuccessful application - they were able to establish them from the fragments found. At the same time, most of the performance characteristics have not yet been disclosed.
"Beaver" is built according to the "duck" scheme and has an elongated torpedo-shaped fuselage. In the nose of the glider placed horizontal tail of a small scale. The straight wing is shifted towards the tail. The length of the product can be estimated at 2-2,5 m, the wingspan is about 3-3,5 m. The take-off weight is unknown, but it is unlikely to exceed tens of kilograms. Takeoff is carried out using a three-point landing gear.
The UAV is equipped with an internal combustion engine located in the tail of the fuselage; propeller is used. The flight speed can be estimated at 150-200 km / h. The Ukrainian side claims that the range reaches 1000 km. Whether this is true is not yet clear - known attacks did not require a maximum radius.
Unoperated warhead type K3-6. Photo Telegram / Shot
The drone is equipped only with an autopilot that allows you to fly along a given route to a specified point. Navigation is carried out according to the signals of satellite systems. There are no means for detecting a target in the final leg of the flight. Probably, communication with the operator is also not provided.
"Beaver" has a built-in warhead and hits the target by direct fall on it. As a warhead, a standard Soviet-designed K3-6 engineering charge is used. An unexploded product of this type was found on one of the UAVs that got into a Moscow residential building. K3-6 is a portable shaped charge 240 mm long weighing less than 5 kg, of which 1,8 kg is explosive. Such a warhead is capable of penetrating at least 200-210 mm of armor or 500-550 mm of concrete.
Real results
Thus, the Ukrainian "Beaver" is another unmanned "aircraft projectile" designed to hit fixed targets with known coordinates. Its strengths include simplicity of design, the absence of complex and expensive components, as well as a high flight range. However, it has already become clear that such a UAV cannot fully realize its advantages in a real situation - the results of the May 30 raid showed its actual potential.
In theory, the widespread use of plastics/composites, the smooth lines of the airframe, and the correct flight profile should reduce the likelihood of detection and destruction. In practice, our Pantsir-S air defense missile systems were able to detect the Beavers and successfully attack them. Five of the eight flying UAVs were shot down.
Fragment of the UAV. Photo Telegram / Dambiev
Flying to a target using satellite navigation also has its limitations and problems. Our electronic warfare equipment suppressed the corresponding signals, due to which the enemy drones were unable to continue flying along a given route. Unfortunately, having strayed from their original trajectory, they ended up in residential buildings.
Damage to three houses shows the real level of power of such an attack drone. Two charges of K3-6 could only damage the external elements of buildings, break windows and injure several people, and the third did not work at all. What damage such charges could inflict on a protected military facility is a big question.
Task for defense
Thus, the Ukrainian attempt to attack Moscow failed. The drones were unable to reach important military or infrastructure facilities and hit residential areas, with minimal damage. All this shows that the Kiev regime is ready for any measures to counter Russia. At the same time, it does not have sufficient funds for a tangible or noticeable impact. As you can see, now great hopes are placed on the new Beaver UAV, but it does not justify them either - like a number of samples before it.
It should be taken into account that the recent attack on Moscow failed not only because of the imperfection of Ukrainian strike weapons. Our air defense and electronic warfare systems played a key role in this. They realized their advantages, and also used the shortcomings of enemy equipment and got the desired result. Obviously, air defense and electronic warfare will continue their work and prevent or stop the next such attacks.
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