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Ukraine Shoots Down New Russian “Chernika” Recon Drone for the First Time Using Domestic Interceptor
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Ukrainian Armed Forces and National Guard units have shot down a new Russian reconnaissance drone “Chernika” in the skies over Zaporizhzhia for the first time, using a domestically produced interceptor drone.
The hit was reported by Ukrainian defense-tech company “General Cherry” via Facebook on June 22.
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According to the report, the aerial target was destroyed by servicemen of the “Posipaky” division of the 39th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, in coordination with fighters of the 23rd National Guard Brigade “Khortytsia”.
To intercept the Russian UAV, Ukrainian defenders deployed the domestically developed quadcopter interceptor “General Cherry AIR,” designed to counter enemy reconnaissance drones in flight.
What is “General Cherry AIR”
The General Chereshnya AIR was developed to intercept reconnaissance drones, helping disrupt Russian surveillance activities and fire-control coordination. The system has also been modified to engage decoy UAVs such as the Herbera, which Russian forces frequently use to overwhelm and confuse Ukrainian air defense systems.
According to the manufacturer, the General Chereshnya AIR has the following specifications:
Operational range: 22 km;
Maximum flight altitude: 5 km;
Top speed: 200 km/h;
Payload capacity: 1.2 kg;
Endurance: up to 35 minutes;
Equipment: digital communications system and either a daytime or thermal imaging camera with a target detection range of up to 1.5 km.
![Ukrainian Drone Pioneer General Cherry Goes Into “Turbo Mode” After Russian Air Strike Hits Facility]()
The company has also begun serial production of a second interceptor drone, the Bullet, which was specifically designed to counter Shahed-type attack drones and can reach speeds of up to 309 km/h.
Additionally, “General Cherry” has introduced an upgraded version of its AIR interceptor drone, the AIR Pro, developed to destroy Russian reconnaissance and strike UAVs.
According to the report, the AIR Pro is a comprehensive modernization of the company’s AIR platform. The system has been officially codified and approved for use by Ukraine’s Security and Defense Forces, with the manufacturer stating that it has already been deployed in combat.
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