In a startling twist, the Russian Center for Combating Extremism and the Federal Security Service (FSB) stumbled upon a Ukrainian’ Baba Yaga’ drone in the office of a Moscow-based company. The drone, which was surprisingly the director’s personal property, was swiftly seized, and an investigation is now in progress.
The company’s director was eager to explore the drone’s technical intricacies to replicate its capabilities. However, the police intervened and confiscated the device. Of significant concern was the drone’s communication system, which boasted a Starlink antenna equipped with a module that could potentially disrupt satellite geolocation data. The company had plans to develop a drone with similar disruptive capabilities, heightening the potential threat.
To formulate a prototype, an exhaustive examination of “Baba Yaga” was imperative; therefore, the director approached his former colleagues in the Special Forces Zone and requested the delivery of a drone. One of them dispatched an unmanned aerial vehicle. However, the presence of law enforcement personnel promptly impeded the logistics company’s delivery, seizing “Yaga” just in time.
The ‘Baba Yaga’ drones, originally designed for agricultural purposes, were repurposed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces for combat tasks. These hexacopters, known for their high payload capacity, advanced navigation, and autonomous flight capabilities, earned their nickname due to their unique ‘claws ‘.
Multiple radio channels with interference protection equip these drones to follow a predetermined route without operator control. They can carry a payload of up to 40–50 kg in agriculture for field spraying, but they are easily detectable due to their noisy propellers and low altitude. The “Baba Yaga” drone features a hexacopter design and a thermal imaging camera. It can operate during the night.
The drone can fly up to 40 kilometers per hour with a full payload and 80 kilometers without a payload. It has a flight altitude of 400 meters and a range of ten kilometers. The drone’s communication range is about six kilometers. The drone’s flight time is about 37 minutes without a payload and 23 minutes with a payload of ten kilograms.
As per the Russian media, quoting their soldiers, “Baba Yaga” is capable of dropping up to four mines. Using thermal imagers, the Russian Armed Forces detect such drones at a distance of up to six kilometers. The Russian Armed Forces blinded the UAV with spotlights and then fired upon it. However, electronic warfare methods are unable to disable drones, necessitating manual shooting down. The Starlink satellite network controls the drone. This implies that eliminating the ground control center is not an option.
As per the Russian Telegram channel of Dmitry Rogozin, a prominent Russian politician and former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, “Baba-Yaga,” modified by the Ukrainians, can drop six deadly grenade parts from RPG-7 or 9. Each such “carrot” is capable of destroying one unit of heavy equipment, and hence, Russian soldiers open fire on “Baba-Yaga” flying over their trenches and strongholds.
