Service members of Posipaky battalion of 39th anti-aircraft missile regiment and 23rd Khortytsia brigade of National Guard of Ukraine destroyed Russian Chernika drones in sky over Zaporizhia for first time.
According to defense-tech company General Cherry (Chereshnya), Ukrainian military used General Cherry AIR interceptor drone to strike target, which previously proved to be effective tool against various types of aerial threats.
Chernika UAV belongs to new generation of Russian unmanned systems actively deployed by Russia for attacks on frontline regions. Drone features small size, low production cost and resistance to electronic warfare, making its detection and interception by traditional air defense systems difficult.
Chernika is flying wing with maximum operational range of 80 to 100 km depending on modification, cruising speed of 75 km/h, and maximum flight altitude of up to 1.5 km. Warhead is 0.7 kg for Chernika-1 and features increased version of up to 3.5 kg for Chernika-2. Some Russian sources report that Chernika features terminal homing and operates on autopilot to designated target area.
Successful destruction of Chernika over Zaporizhia demonstrates effectiveness of concept of using specialized interceptor drones as one of most cost-effective tools to counter modern unmanned threats.
General Cherry AIR is Ukrainian interceptor drone designed to counter various types of enemy UAVs.
Company notes that Russia continues to diversify types of drones, banking on mass production of cheap and technologically simple platforms. In response, Ukraine actively develops multi-layered system to counter aerial threats, in which interceptor drones play crucial role.
