A video of Ukrainian soldiers shooting down Russian drones with rifles — while leaning out of Soviet-era propeller planes like World War 1 combatants — went viral last week.
The footage shows soldiers taking aim at the drones and pulling the trigger, causing them to plummet towards the ground and erupt in giant fireballs, drawing comparisons to war-based video games.
Because disinformation surrounding the war in Ukraine has run rampant on social media, you might question the video’s authenticity. But as the Wall Street Journal reports, it’s a very real phenomenon, highlighting the latest developments in drone warfare — and how 21st-century tech is now clashing with decidedly old school close-range combat.
According to the newspaper’s sources in the Ukrainian forces, the country’s 11th Army Aviation Brigade has eliminated dozens of Russian drones by having soldiers lean out of prop planes — decades-old Yak-52 aircraft, originally intended for aerobatics training — with rifles and shotguns.
The planes are far cheaper to run and extremely low-tech compared to the military’s F-16 jets, which have also been used on occasion to down drones.
Soldiers have even gotten into the habit of stenciling downed drones onto the sides of the planes, according to the WSJ, a move inspired by World War 2 pilots.
The planes have no trouble keeping up with explosives-laden Iranian Shahed drones operated by Russia. They’re also nimble enough to get within several hundred feet, allowing the soldiers to lean out and take them down with firearms.
Of course, the approach is still extremely dangerous. Russia’s air-defense missiles can easily the non-jet-powered aircraft, leaving the Ukrainian pilots exposed.
The approach is yet another anachronistic response to advancements in robotics and drone warfare. Just last week, we came across a video showing Ukrainian troops evacuating an elderly woman with the help of a remotely-controlled robot.
“There is such great new technology now, yet I am still hanging out of the cockpit shooting at drones with a shotgun,” one mechanic-turned gunner told the WSJ.
But considering the success rate, the approach is clearly working.
“Modern problems can sometimes use older solutions,” one Reddit user offered.
More on Ukraine war: Wild Video Shows Ukrainian Troops Evacuate Babushka With a Military Robot
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