Photo: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
Ukrainian forces are already using domestically produced reconnaissance drones on the frontline that are equipped with systems to evade enemy anti-aircraft FPV drones, Defence Express reports. The deployment of such UAVs demonstrates adaptation to new countermeasures that are now widely used on the battlefield.
The OSINT channel Potuzhnyi Informator recently published photos of a Leleka-100 reconnaissance drone shot down by Russian forces. The UAV was fitted with the standard “Snich” system, designed to help drones evade interceptor drones. While the system’s effectiveness has not yet been proven to be absolute, it significantly complicates targeting for enemy operators and reduces the likelihood of interception and losses.
Defence Express notes that Russia has been installing similar systems on its reconnaissance drones since the second half of 2024, not as field modifications but as part of factory-standard equipment. As a result, full-fledged aerial “dogfights” between drones have increasingly emerged.
The Ukrainian “Snich” system for the Leleka-100, developed by Deviro, is comparable to Russian solutions. It can detect enemy interceptor drones and assist the UAV in maneuvering to evade them. Information about Snich first became public in September last year, when versions with onboard cameras—still affected by blind spots—were being tested. Developers were also trialing variants that rely on electronic intelligence (ELINT) capabilities and could potentially employ electronic warfare measures.
Previously, a Ukrainian serviceman with the call sign “Alex” stated that up to 80% of drones supplied to the Armed Forces are of low quality, warning that drone procurement has become a profit-driven business for some actors. Meanwhile, Ukrainian electronic warfare expert Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov reported that Russia has begun equipping Shahed drones with a previously unseen CRPA antenna, making them far less vulnerable to electronic warfare systems.
