Russia has developed a sapper drone dubbed Strekoza (lit. Dragonfly), capable of neutralizing remotely controlled mines in the special operation zone, spokesman for the company behind this technology, Igor Stukalo, told Sputnik on Tuesday.
Stukalo, who serves as technical director of the Defense Group, UTTA, said that the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Russian National Guard have already conducted tests of the Strekoza unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which demonstrated “positive results.”
According to him, the drone can be used in areas located as far as 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the frontline in the special operation zone.
Stukalo explained that if the remotely operated Strekoza detects a mine with a radioelectronic fuse, the drone, which carries a TNT block, will drop it on the target.
The spokesman said that the flight duration of the 12kg drone is 50 minutes, and that the Strekoza kit includes four pairs of rechargeable batteries and a charger.
Russian troops have successfully been using various types of drones in the special operation zone amid Kiev’s botched counteroffensive, which has claimed the lives of at least 90,000 Ukrainian soldiers since its beginning on June 4.