Russian tanks add external drone shooter amid desperate measures
The Russians have introduced a fourth crew member to their tanks. Interestingly, this individual rides not inside but outside the vehicle. His task is to shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles, which is undoubtedly complicated by the need to stay on the moving tank.
8:03 PM EDT, June 11, 2024
Many pieces of information provided by Russian media or authorities are part of propaganda and information warfare conducted by the Russian Federation.
Unfortunately, the idea of introducing an external drone shooter is not a joke. A segment about the new crew member of Russian tanks appeared on the main edition of the news program on the pro-Kremlin television channel "Russia 1." The recording from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic showed a Russian tank moving at high speed in the field, with a lone soldier holding onto the turret.
In a conversation with the drone shooter, it appears that his task is to repel attacks from unmanned aerial vehicles. The soldier did not explain precisely how he accomplished this but boasted that during his last two missions, he managed to neutralize two drones.
An isolated incident?
Journalists from the Defence24.pl portal note that information about drone shooters has not appeared in other Russian media. This could indicate that the case shown on "Russia 1" is an isolated incident.
It is also likely that soldiers fighting in the self-proclaimed republics in the occupied Ukrainian territories employ such measures. This could result from the poorer equipment provided to the soldiers there.
The published recording fragment seems to confirm this thesis. The visible tank is older and lacks an electronic anti-drone system, which a human has replaced.
Act of desperation
According to the portal's analysts, this is an act of desperation. According to Russian media, the soldier is to remain outside the tank even in the event of kamikaze drone attacks.
However, they are not the only threat. The drone shooter is also exposed to shrapnel from exploding shells and gunfire. Riding on the tank is quite dangerous, as in combat conditions, it moves at high speed through fields, rotates the turret, and fires from the cannon.
