Russian troops on the front line are using a dedicated VR simulator to sharpen their ability to shoot down drones. The system recreates aerial targets in a virtual environment and is already being used across different sectors of the front.

The simulator was described by a reconnaissance serviceman from the Terek brigade with the call sign Ostap during the «Together We Will Win» veterans’ forum. He said specialists at the Gagarin training center based the concept on a technique familiar to competitive clay shooters.

Developers noticed that a clay target launched in front of a shooter moves in a way that resembles a drone approaching a person. They transferred that principle into a virtual environment and adapted it to the tasks faced by servicemen.

Drone models were added to the software so troops can repeatedly practice detecting, tracking and engaging airborne targets. The simulator allows units to maintain these skills and improve their anti-drone training without leaving their positions.

Training is not confined to virtual exercises. Servicemen also hold competitions using real 12-gauge weapons, applying the skills developed in VR under live-fire conditions. According to Ostap, such simulators have become widely used and are now deployed on multiple sectors of the front.