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Ukraine Shoots Down Rare $7 Million Russian Orion Drone With Interceptor UAV
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukrainian forces have destroyed a rare Russian Orion reconnaissance and strike drone using an interceptor UAV, according to Ukraine’s 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Magura,” which released footage of the engagement on July 12.
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The brigade said the Orion is one of Russia’s most capable medium-altitude unmanned aircraft and estimated its value at approximately $7 million.
The interception was carried out by the Sky Wars air defense unit of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Magura,” according to a statement published by the brigade on July 12.
The brigade said its operators successfully tracked the Russian drone’s flight path, caught up with it using an interceptor drone, and destroyed it in flight. According to the military, the Orion’s speed and operating altitude normally place it beyond the reach of conventional interceptor UAVs.
“The Sky Wars air defense unit of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade 'Magura' destroyed the 'miracle of the Russian defense industry'—the Orion, Russia’s imitation of the Turkish Bayraktar, worth $7 million. A conventional interceptor drone can’t catch up with it—but the Sky Wars pilots did,” the brigade said in its statement.
The Orion, developed by Russia’s Kronshtadt company, is a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle designed for both reconnaissance and strike missions. According to the 47th Brigade, the platform can carry KAB-20 and KAB-50 guided bombs, Kh-50 missiles, loitering munitions, and Russia’s new S8000 “Banderol” cruise missile.
The brigade described the Orion as a relatively rare operational asset within Russia’s drone fleet. While it is frequently compared with Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 due to its size and mission profile, the Ukrainian military referred to it as Russia’s counterpart to the Turkish system.
Earlier, on June 23, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces reported striking three Russian Orion reconnaissance-strike drones at an airfield in temporarily occupied Crimea. According to Defense Express, the Orion is currently the only confirmed carrier of Russia’s S8000 “Banderol” cruise missile, making it one of the more valuable UAVs in Russia’s arsenal.
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