Russia's questionable anti-drone tactics: Shotguns and stunts
4:48 PM EDT, October 5, 2024
The Russian Ministry of Defense showcased a video of anti-drone training for soldiers before deployment to Ukraine. Instead of working with mobile electronic warfare systems, the footage only features shotguns, rifle throwing, and acrobatics.
Russian television displayed soldiers practicing drone combat. In the video, no advanced systems are evident; the sole defense is a soldier armed with a shotgun. Additionally, evasive acrobatics and rifle throwing, theoretically intended to neutralize an FPV drone in close range, are practiced.
Russian anti-drone school — circus instead of actual training
One benefit of the Russian anti-drone school is acclimating soldiers to drone activity and enabling them to identify the flight direction by sound. A second reasonable aspect is training with a smoothbore shotgun, a highly effective tool for shooting down drones from distances of up to 98-131 feet.
The Russians have an interesting model in the form of semi-automatic Saiga-12 or Vepr-12 shotguns. These shotguns are fed from interchangeable box or drum magazines with capacities of ten or twenty rounds, respectively. When equipped with muzzle brakes and collimator sights, these designs weigh about 9 pounds, making them quite effective weapons.
The same cannot be said for throwing a rifle at a drone, as such an action, even if it destroys the drone at a six-foot distance, is likely to be fatal regardless. FPV drones typically carry bomblets or fragmentation grenades, whose lethal shrapnel range is much greater. Only extraordinary luck and a high-quality bulletproof vest or full suit could ensure survival in such a scenario.
Numerous videos by Ukrainian drone operators of attacks on Russian soldiers in recent months have shown such desperate attempts to down unmanned machines using thrown weapons or sticks. It is now known that Russians are "trained" in these methods.
The same applies to acrobatics, which can only be effective with good ballistic protection for most of the body, a significant issue in Russia. While Russians possess assault suits with shrapnel protection, these typically reach only certain units. For typical equipment, such acrobatics by Russian soldiers could result in their deaths, as evidenced in many recordings by Ukrainian drone operators.
