Russia is testing new drones in Kharkiv, Armed Forces of Ukraine are learning to shoot down "Molniya" drones - Terekhov
Russian invaders are firing on Kharkiv with all available weapons, and now the occupiers have begun testing a new type of drone in the city.
According to Censor.NET, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said this on the air of the TV program "We are Ukraine".
"Indeed, from the first day of the war, all types of Russian weapons have been flying at Kharkiv, we are being shelled with KABs, S-300, S-400 missiles, Iskanders, Shaheds, and everything else possible. Now the newest type of weapon that the Russians are testing in Kharkiv is the Molniya drone. Our military is learning, they need some time and experience to shoot down these new drones. Today, this process is ongoing, and I can't tell you everything on the air, but I want to assure you that the military is taking this very seriously. I had a very serious conversation with them yesterday about what can be done to shoot down these aircraft," he said.
Terekhov noted that last night in Kharkiv was more or less calm, but explosions were heard.
"The Russians have changed the type of shelling of the city, UAVs have been flying to Kharkiv in recent days, there have been hits to residential buildings and office premises. As for the housing stock that was attacked, we are restoring it. I would like to say that today there is a lot of destruction in Kharkiv, and with the onset of cold weather, we are picking up the pace even more to restore everything as soon as possible," the mayor added.
What do you know about the new drone?
"The Molniya-1 is an airplane-type kamikaze drone assembled from aluminum rails and covered with plywood. Unlike the Shahed, the Molniya is powered by electric traction rather than an internal combustion engine. A battery-powered propeller is installed on the nose of the UAV.
Russian propaganda reports have stated that the effective range of these drones is approximately 40 kilometers. The drone is controlled by an operator wearing FPV goggles. In addition, the Molniya-1 has an autopilot that turns on if the connection with the operator is broken. In autopilot mode, Molniya-1 flies according to pre-entered coordinates.
This type of drone is relatively small: the wingspan is about 1.2 meters, and they weigh no more than ten kilograms with the warhead. The Molniya-1 warhead weighs between three and five kilograms. It is known that the drones are equipped with shots from anti-tank grenade launchers and high-explosive ammunition. It is currently unknown what kind of ammunition the Russians are using to strike Kharkiv.
Molniya-1s are launched from a pneumatic catapult. The maximum speed of these drones is up to 80 kilometers per hour. The drone's two batteries, with a claimed capacity of 7,500 milliampere-hours each, last for 40 minutes of flight.
Molniya-1 is difficult to detect because it does not run on an internal combustion engine, so it generates less heat. Acoustic detection is also difficult because the Molniya-1's electric motor is not as noisy as the Shahed's internal combustion engine.
