Russian Deploys Yak-52 Training Aircraft to Intercept Ukrainian Drones

The Russian troops have started employing Yak-52 sports trainer planes to shoot down Ukrainian drones, video evidence shared online shows.

In a video cited by Russian media, one can see the crew consisting of the pilot and the gunner getting ready to operate the airplane for a battle. The Yak-52 was created as an academic aircraft, but it is considered old-fashioned and has been modified to neutralize unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying at a slow speed and height.

Military analysts point out that the employment of Yak-52s is in line with previous Ukrainian attempts at using comparable planes to intercept drones, as both sides experience shortages of regular air defense assets. The modification has been stated to aim not just at attack drones but also at reconnaissance UAVs.

Experts point out that both Ukrainian and Russian forces have continuously borrowed tactics from each other throughout the conflict. Moscow has been noted in the past by Ukrainian officials to incorporate and adapt their methods of combat, and Kyiv has similarly mimicked Russian systems, such as the Lancet loitering munition.