Pro-Moscow bloggers said an Australian-built suicide drone used by Ukrainian forces was shot down inside Russian territory last week.
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), made out of cardboard and rubber bands, reportedly had a powerful explosive strapped to it.
Unverified images appeared to show that the damaged drone was equipped with a radio detonator.
“The MON-90 mine is built into the fuselage of this UAV,” one Russian commentator said, as quoted by ABC News. “On the wing is a VP-2a radio detonator.”
The bloggers could not determine if there were other radio electronic components on the drone or if it had a video camera for surveillance.
The Corvo Drone
The Ukrainian military is indeed using cardboard drones supplied by Australian technology firm SYPAQ Systems.
Known as the Corvo Precision Payload Delivery System, the UAVs are being sent to the war-torn nation as part of an initiative launched by the Australian government in July 2022.
At least 100 of these cheap drones are being provided to Kyiv’s forces every month in flatpack form.
According to the developer, the Corvo is very easy to operate because its flight is programmed through a simple interface on an Android tablet.
It does not need an operator to control its flight, making it suitable for operations by small infantry units.
The drone utilizes a GPS, but it can still perform missions in GPS-denied environments and under heavy radio jamming.
“Our cardboard plane has been used effectively in a variety of missions by the Ukrainian forces as they defend their country,” a SYPAQ spokesperson told ABC News.
