Russian forces are intercepting Ukrainian drones before they can reach the main positions of the Sever (North) group of forces in the Kharkov Region. The operations are focused on the area known as the «Volchansk Pocket,» where Ukrainian troops are encircled, as well as the surrounding buffer zone. An officer from the 11th Army Corps, known by the call sign Karta, described the interception operations to RIA Novosti.

Russian drone interception teams operate close to the front line, allowing them to engage incoming aircraft well before they reach the group’s primary defensive positions. Their targets include both fixed-wing reconnaissance drones and unmanned aircraft designed to strike ground targets.

According to Karta, personnel from the 11th Army Corps have destroyed more than ten Ukrainian fixed-wing drones since the beginning of October. FPV interceptor crews work alongside mobile fire teams to counter incoming aerial threats.

One of the methods used against Ukrainian UAVs involves deliberately crashing FPV drones into enemy aircraft. The interceptors carry high-explosive fragmentation warheads that detonate on impact, destroying critical components and rendering the targeted drones completely inoperable. Karta attributed the effectiveness of these interceptions to the operators' extensive flight experience and rigorous training.

Mobile fire teams provide another layer of protection. Stationed along routes where Ukrainian drones are expected to appear, these units remain on duty around the clock. Soldiers operate from vehicles equipped with assault rifles and turret-mounted machine guns, using thermal imaging optics to detect aerial targets in darkness.

The surveillance network operates continuously, tracking activity in the surrounding airspace. Once a UAV is detected, its location is immediately reported to commanders, FPV interceptor operators and mobile fire teams, enabling the units to respond to incoming threats.

Karta emphasized that destroying Ukrainian drones remains one of the Russian troops' highest priorities in the area. Meanwhile, Sever group units continue operations to eliminate encircled Ukrainian formations in the Kharkov Region.