Russia's Orlan drone crashes in Ukraine's Donbas - ATO HQ

14:24, 18.09.2017 1 min read

A Russian-made Orlan unmanned aerial vehicle has crashed in the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone in eastern Ukraine because of a technical failure, the press center of the ATO Headquarters has said.

"The Ukrainian air defense forces did not manage to bring the enemy Orlan UAV down, although they had been tracking its route closely. The Orlan fell due to a technical malfunction of the system in the first half of the day yesterday [September 16]. It matches the model produced in Russia. The Orlan-10 is developed by Russian-based Special Technological Center Ltd.," the ATO HQ press center said on Facebook on Sunday, September 17.

The drone fell near the village of Novohradivka in Donetsk region.

Its hull and engine are made in Russia, electronic components are from Taiwan.

The press center added that Russia often uses drones in Donbas for reconnaissance and adjustment of artillery fire and, as a rule, they fly in a group of two or three aircraft per operation.

This Orlan-10 is a short-range tactical UAV, it added.