On June 30, Russian forces intercepted and downed a group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over Khmeimim Air Base in Syria. The UAVs had been launched by militants.
According to a report by the Russian state-run news agency Sputnik citing a source in the Syrian Army, over 5 UAVs were downed. The UAVs “most likely on a reconnaissance mission”, Sputnik’s source said.
“The drones were invisible to conventional radars, because they were made of wood, plastic and modern innovative materials. Despite the deliberate use of these innovation technologies, the UAVS were detected by the Russian military,” the source added noting that “on closer examination it became clear that the UAVs’ parts were made in Western countries.”
The UAVs were reportedly tracked by the Russian-made photodetectors. According to the source, two UAVs were doowned by members of the Syrian National Defense Forces “with the help of Kalashnikov assault rifles.”
Previously, the Russian airbase in Syria was attacked by militants’ UAVs in April and January. These attacks were also repelled.
Source: SPUTNIK / MURAD SAID
Source: SPUTNIK / MURAD SAID
Source: SPUTNIK / MURAD SAID
Video of one of the downed UAVs:
