Cheap, weaponized FPV drones have transformed the battlefield of Ukraine and compelled militaries to attempt multiple novel ways to counter the deadly threat. From camouflage to gun arrays, here are 11 different anti-drone devices and adaptations seen in use by Ukrainian and Russian forces.
The Anti-Drone Tech Evolving On Ukraine's Front Lines
An “anti-drone buggy” being tested by Russian troops inside Ukraine in June 2024. The vehicle sports multiple automatic weapons mounted on a light chassis, and unspecified “anti-drone weapons” are apparently fired from grenade launch tubes seen at the front and rear of the vehicle.
A Russian fuel tanker disguised as a logging truck. The camouflaged vehicle was photographed in the east of Ukraine in January.
A Ukrainian soldier holds an anti-drone gun at a frontline position near Avdiyivka in April 2023.
The $11,300 Ukrainian-made device seen in this image uses directed radio waves to overwhelm the connection between a drone and its operator. The interference can cut the drone’s video feed and, depending on the model of drone, can either force it to return to its takeoff point, land immediately, or drift away with the wind and eventually crash.
A Ukrainian soldier wears an “anti-drone backpack” during a demonstration of jamming devices in the Lviv region in May.
A Russian fighter with an improvised anti-drone gun apparently made up of five AK-74 rifles fitted with trigger bars that fire all the guns simultaneously. The weapon array was photographed in Ukraine’s Kherson region in June.
A Russian smoke-screen vehicle operating in Ukraine’s Luhansk region in June. It is not clear if this photo shows a combat operation, but smoke screens have been used by invading Russian forces to conceal troop and vehicle movement in eastern Ukraine.
A Russian “turtle tank” after its capture by Ukraine in June. The tanks use a makeshift box of light armor that is designed to activate the impact fuses of explosives carried by FPV drones, causing them to explode harmlessly before reaching the tank itself.
Other turtle tanks use more lightweight slat armor, such as this Russian T-72. The hanging chains in front of the driver may stop drones from getting through while also allowing some turret movement and an escape route for the crew. The modified tank was photographed in Ukraine’s Kherson region in June.
A Russian military vehicle fitted with makeshift wooden armor, netting, and apparent side armor to protect against FPV drones is seen in Ukraine's Luhansk region in June.
A Russian Grad multiple-rocket launcher fitted with wire netting to prevent FPV drones from detonating directly against the launch tube bank. The photo was taken in eastern Ukraine in June.
A tripod-mounted anti-drone system being demonstrated in Moscow in June 2023