Ukrainian MiG-29 shot down Russian "Shahed" with R-73 missile and, with sharp manoeuvre, dodged debris from destroyed drone. VIDEO
A video has been published online showing a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet in action, intercepting and destroying a Russian ‘Shahed’-type attack drone. To engage the aerial target, the pilot fired a short-range R-73 air-to-air guided missile.
According to Censor.NET, the video, which lasts around 19 seconds, shows the Ukrainian fighter jet flying at a considerable altitude. The camera captures the front of the aircraft and the airspace ahead.
A few seconds later, the pilot launches the R-73 missile, which hurtles towards the Russian drone, leaving a white smoke trail in its wake.
Soon, a bright explosion lights up the sky. A cloud of smoke forms at the point of impact of the ‘Shahed’, and debris from the destroyed target begins to fall.
Immediately after the explosion, the Ukrainian pilot performs a sharp manoeuvre, steering the fighter away from the site of the detonation.
The footage shows the aircraft banking, whilst the cloud of smoke from the destroyed drone remains to the side of its flight path.
This manoeuvre allows the pilot to avoid a dangerous close encounter with debris from the aerial target, which could pose a threat to the aircraft following the explosion.
The R-73 is a short-range air-to-air guided missile with an infrared homing seeker. It is designed to engage aerial targets and forms part of the MiG-29 fighter’s armament suite.
