18th Aviation Commandant’s Office Crew Downs Orlan-30 Drone at 110 km

The crew of Ukraine’s 18th Aviation Commandant’s Office shot down a Russian Orlan-30 reconnaissance UAV at a range of 110 km, setting a new record for the longest successful engagement by a Wovkulaka Spitfire interceptor drone.

According to the Serhii Prytula Charity Foundation, the Russian drone was intercepted and destroyed over the sea. The 18th Aviation Commandant’s Office operates under Ukraine’s Air Command South.

This mission was the result of careful professional planning, as well as months of training and regular practice by the crew.

“The original plan was to conduct reconnaissance at a range of 50–60 km, but after the tactical situation changed, we decided to commit to a one-way mission and continue pursuing the target. At that distance, operating over open sea without visual landmarks, success depends on precise navigation, complete trust between the pilot and navigator, and seamless coordination across the entire team,” a servicemember of the 18th Aviation Commandant’s Office shared.

To intercept the Orlan-30 drone, the crew used a Wovkulaka Spitfire drone interceptor system supplied by the Serhii Prytula Charity Foundation as part of the Yedynozbir (“United Fundraiser”) initiative.

The Foundation noted that the interception demonstrates both the crew’s high level of training and the ability of Ukrainian interceptor drones to engage targets at long range.

The use of such systems forces Russian reconnaissance UAVs to operate at greater stand-off distances from the front line, reducing the effectiveness of their intelligence collection and complicating the execution of combat missions.

Russian Orlan-30

The Orlan-30 is one of the Russian forces’ primary aerial reconnaissance UAVs. It is used to detect Ukrainian positions, adjust artillery fire, and relay intelligence for missile and drone strikes.

Specifications: operational radius: 500 km; service ceiling: up to 5,000 m; flight endurance: 8 hours; maximum speed: 150 km/h.

Last year, it was reported that Russian forces had converted the Orlan reconnaissance UAV into a carrier for FPV drones.

By doing so, Russian forces seek to deliver smaller attack FPV UAVs deep into the Ukrainian rear, enabling surprise strikes.