Private aircraft were only given permission to intercept Russian drones in the summer of 2025, when Ukraine’s defense realized that every plane counts. Since then, a small An-28 transport aircraft, twin-engine, propeller-driven, and its volunteer crew have managed to assist in the interception of over 100 drones.
In addition to fighter jets, various air defense systems, UAV interceptors, and mobile fire groups, the Ukrainian airspace is defended against Russian drones also with the help of a civilian An-28 transport aircraft converted into a “drone hunter”.
According to the French channel TF1, whose correspondents joined one of the combat missions, five drones were intercepted during the operation. The images show a M134 Minigun machine gun used to shoot down the drones, a tactic usually employed by helicopters on such missions.
How do the missions take place? As for the process itself, the dispatcher first directs the aircraft to the area where the Russian drones have been spotted. Then, the crew must visually locate the target, and the machine gunner manually shoots it down with a machine gun. The An-28 crew is made up of civilians who have decided to help the military defend the airspace. At the same time, drones are intercepted in safe areas – above fields and forests, never above residential areas.
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