The military machines are the Ukrainian air reconnaissance with the help of an R18 drone hit columns of Russian forces at night, reports Robert "Magyar" Brovdi in Telegram, Ukrainian publication "Focus" informs.

"Magyar" shows on video the result of the activity of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade. Two of the infantry fighting vehicles had burned from the inside and it is possible that there were still crews there.

What the R18 drone look like:

photo: Wikipedia.org

R18 is a Ukrainian unmanned combat aerial vehicle designed to attack enemy targets with ammunition, developed by the Ukrainian organization Aerorozvidka. Used by the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian War, which has been ongoing since 2014.

In 2016, Aerorozvidka launched a program to develop prototypes of its unmanned aerial vehicles. In 2019, the model was thoroughly tested and used during a special operation in the ATO zone.

Characteristics

The R18 is a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle. It is an octocopter, that is, a multicopter with eight propellers. Accordingly, the drone has 8 motors. This number of motors is used for greater reliability. The drone has a vertical takeoff and landing. Ukrainian and imported components are used in construction.

The R18 is a drone that has both military and civilian applications. The octocopter is used for surveillance and search, delivering cargo or inflicting damage. Since 2022, the last feature in Aerorozvidka is called the most relevant, because many other drones with cameras can collect information. The complex is designed for the destruction of enemy equipment, small fortifications and ammunition depots.

Armament

To use the R18 drone as a bomber, Soviet RKG-3 HEAT grenades or RKG-1600 bombs, created on their basis by gunsmiths at the Mayak plant (the weight of one is 1.6 kg), are used, both of which are capable of neutralizing lightly armored vehicles with an attack from above. The accuracy of a hit with the RKG-1600 is one square meter from a height of 300 meters. The R18 is capable of carrying three such munitions. It can perform up to 40 flights without additional maintenance or repair.

More information at Wikipedia R18

Video in youtube:

More technical specifications:

complex deployment time — up to 15 minutes;
equipping with a thermal imager — yes;
number of mounts for projectiles — 3 pcs.;
total weight — 17 kg;
weight without batteries — 6.45 kg;
the weight of the battery pair is 5.55 kg;
the weight of the thermal imaging suspension — 490 g;
useful load capacity — up to 5 kg;
ammunition drop height — up to 300 m / from 100 to 300 m;
speed — 12 m/s;
vertical speed — 2.5 m/s;
wind resistance — 10 m/s;
ambient temperature range — from -15 to +35 °C;
radius of action — 5 km;
application distance — 20 km;
flight duration — 45 minutes;
overall (transport) dimensions — 1200x1200x400 mm;
battery type — Li-ion 6s 24v 32500mah x 2.