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Ukraine’s Volunteer Team Downed 213 Russian Drones Using An-28 With Machine Guns and Interceptors
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukraine’s modified An-28 aircraft used to intercept Russian Shahed-type attack drones has reportedly destroyed 213 aerial targets since the start of operations.
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According to The New York Times on May 6, the tally was visible through kill markings painted on the fuselage of the aircraft, which had been converted from a civilian transport plane into a low-cost airborne drone interception platform.
The aircraft is operated by a volunteer crew working alongside Ukraine’s air defense network. The report described how the An-28 is scrambled during nighttime Russian drone attacks and directed toward incoming targets by dispatchers before visually locating drones in the air.
The aircraft is equipped with an American-made M134 Minigun capable of firing thousands of rounds per minute. According to the report, only short bursts are typically needed to destroy a Shahed drone.
The New York Times noted that each interception costs roughly $500 in ammunition, significantly less than the price of surface-to-air missile launches, which can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
The fuselage markings shown in the report included symbols representing Shahed drones and Russian Gerbera decoy drones. Additional markings appeared to indicate kills achieved using airborne interceptor drones launched directly from the aircraft.
According to Ukrainian defense-focused reporting cited alongside the NYT material, the An-28 was recently adapted to carry P1-SUN interceptor drones developed by the Ukrainian company SkyFall. The aircraft reportedly received multiple underwing hardpoints capable of carrying up to six interceptor drones simultaneously.
Images previously released of the aircraft showed at least three mounting points under each wing, as well as an optical targeting station used for locating aerial targets during night operations. The approach allows Ukraine to engage Russian drones using cheaper airborne interceptors instead of relying exclusively on expensive air defense missiles.
According to The New York Times, one member of the crew, Valerii Slipkan, spent months converting the aircraft after joining Ukraine’s defense effort during the early phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The report stated that Slipkan’s son was killed shortly after the invasion began.
Another crew member identified as Timur, described by the newspaper as a former world aerobatics champion, told reporters he later invested in developing his own interceptor drone systems designed to automate parts of the air defense process. The NYT report also showed damage fragments embedded in the aircraft’s fuselage from previous engagements with Russian drones.
Ukraine has also previously used Yak-52 training aircraft in a similar anti-drone role, as Russian Shahed attacks continue to place heavy pressure on the country’s air defense network.
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