A primary-person point-of-view video exhibits the crew member within the rear seat of a Ukrainian Yak-52 capturing with a rifle at a Russian Geran drone, which later detonates in a robust explosion.
A video that emerged on Mar. 24, 2026, exhibits a Russian Geran-type One-Approach Assault (OWA) drone exploding mid-air after being engaged by an automated weapon fired from the rear seat of a Ukrainian Yak-52 coach. Ukraine had employed the Soviet-era piston coach since 2024 for capturing numerous kinds of Russian drones, together with Orlan-10 and Geran drones.
Based mostly on the accessible movies of the interceptions, we had concluded that these often see a crew member within the rear seat of the plane participating the drones with commonplace hand-held small arms. The newest video exhibits the rear crew member firing round eight rounds on the Geran kamikaze drone, which then detonates within the air in a large and highly effective explosion.
The choice to undertake this methodology as an alternative of wing-mounted or podded machine weapons is owing to the technically difficult and tedious airframe modifications that might be required. Russia had equally repurposed its personal Yak-52 fleet for the position, with a picture displaying a modified plane outfitted with a shotgun and an electro-optical system.
The interception of a Russian Shahed/Geran-type long-range OWA-UAV with a firearm by a Ukrainian serviceman flying on board a Yak-52 piston-engine coach plane. pic.twitter.com/5JvFY00E0e
— Standing-6 (Conflict & Navy Information) (@Archer83Able) March 24, 2026
Reviews quoting Russian officers known as it the Yak-52B2 improve, which additionally included multifunctional show within the rear cockpit, navigation programs and a brand new “digital warfare programs for suppressing communication channels.” We’re nonetheless but to see any of the Russian Aerospace Forces’s (RuAF) Yak-52 in motion, particularly contemplating Russia faces an equally difficult and menacing Ukrainian uneven drone menace.
Newest video
The video exhibits the footage was clearly captured in a first-person standpoint from the rear cockpit, with the crew member holding a weapon, which seems to be a short-barrelled rifle with a picatinny rail and a sighting system. The gun is fired in a semi-automatic mode, with a minimum of eight rounds being let off till the drone explodes, separated by a substantial distance.
The observe of pulling up close to a goal plane and interesting it with a hand-held or a mounted gun, utilized by a crew member within the rear seat, harks again to biplane engagements in World Conflict 1. Afterward, this observe was changed by machine weapons timed to shoot by way of the propellers.
Insane footage coming from Ukraine at the moment. First clip you’ll find exhibits a Russian Shahed drone placing the middle of Lviv. Then, certainly one of a Russian long-range one-way assault drone is gunned down with a firearm by a Ukrainian serviceman flying aboard a Yak-52 coach plane. The… pic.twitter.com/gqLaT2vJIW
— The Aviationist (@TheAviationist) March 24, 2026
In a earlier video, we had seen a Ukrainian Yak-52 in flight, with the rear crew member pulling out one thing, which we concluded on the time was a gun. The weapon nonetheless by no means got here into full view.
One other current video of a Russian assault in Lviv, in western Ukraine, additionally exhibits a Geran drone placing a constructing – among the many lots of of such Geran strikes on Ukrainian targets that Russia has carried out. A major objective of the Gerans was to overwhelm Ukrainian command and management with large volleys to cowl the Kh-101 ALCM and Iskander land-fired tactical surface-strike missiles.
Nevertheless, the Geran has additionally been used for focused strikes into dense metropolis facilities, taking out key civilian-military targets, the place the above missiles could be outsized.
Ukrainian Yak-52 which is used to search out Russian reconnaissance UAVs over the southern Ukraine.Video from a Russian drone. pic.twitter.com/99havoXGSf
— Particular Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) June 8, 2024
The Yak-52
The Yakovlev Yak-52 is a Soviet-era major coach designed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau, which first flew in 1976. It’s a two-seat, single-engine, all-metal monoplane with a low-wing configuration. The Yak-52 is often utilized in aerobatic shows throughout airshows, with its sturdy airframe making it fashionable amongst aerobatics lovers and airshow performers.
The Yak-52 is powered by a single Vedeneyev M-14P radial engine, offering adequate energy for aerobatic maneuvers and coaching flights. The plane has a tandem seating association, with the scholar pilot sitting within the entrance and the teacher pilot within the rear. This configuration permits for efficient coaching and communication between the pilot and teacher.
🛡️🇷🇺Yak-52B2’nin uçuş görüntüleri pic.twitter.com/oo64s5IPF1
— Defence Turk (@Defence_Turk) Could 19, 2025
Variants of the Yak-52 have additionally been used for the sunshine assault roles, outfitted with underwing hardpoints to hold machine gun pods or unguided rockets. The plane’s gradual stall pace makes it excellent for SMI (Gradual Movers Intercept) missions.
Ukraine has additionally equally used its personal helicopters just like the Mi-8 with door-mounted PKM-type and Miniguns to shoot down Russian drones, together with smaller anti-UAV Sting interceptor drones.
