Ukraine Downs Russia’s Most Expensive Merlin-VR Recon Drone With $500 UAV, Video

Ukrainian air defense units from the 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade have once again taken down Russia’s most expensive reconnaissance drone, the Merlin-VR, and also eliminated a Supercam UAV in the Lyman sector, the brigade reported on April 23.

“A $500 drone takes down a $300,000 wing. Absolute legends!” Ukrainian defenders quipped in the post.

According to Ukraine’s Operational Command “Khortytsia,” the Merlin-VR is an experimental Russian surveillance drone valued at over $300,000.

It’s capable of flying at altitudes up to 5 kilometers, staying airborne for 10 hours, and covering distances of up to 600 kilometers—far surpassing the range and endurance of other Russian drones like the Supercam and ZALA.

Earlier, Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down a Russian “Forpost” reconnaissance and strike drone — a rare, Israeli-designed UAV worth an estimated $7 million — at an altitude of 4 kilometers (13,000 feet).

The “Forpost”, a licensed Russian copy of Israel’s IAI Searcher Mk II, is equipped for both reconnaissance and precision strike missions. It can carry guided munitions, such as KAB-20 aerial bombs, which are laser-guided via the drone’s main electro-optical targeting system.

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