A heavy Ukrainian Vampire hexacopter ended up in the hands of fighters from the Wolves reconnaissance and assault brigade of the Volunteer Corps within Russia’s Southern Group of Forces after making a forced landing, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
According to the ministry, the drone was captured by a fighter with the call sign Tikhy after its battery ran out and it came down. To retrieve the aircraft, he had to cross several hundred meters of open ground and then carefully move through a minefield. He then lifted the drone and carried it by hand back to the brigade’s position.
A reconnaissance UAV monitored the operation from the air, accompanying the fighter and recording what happened.
The brigade said the Vampire weighs around 50 kilograms with its battery, while its diameter exceeds two meters. Despite its size and weight, the captured drone is considered a valuable trophy: aircraft of this type can be used both as bombers and as transport drones, carrying up to 15 kilograms of cargo over distances of up to 10 kilometers.
The unit also noted that all such hexacopters are equipped with thermal imaging cameras. The captured drone landed successfully and was not damaged.