Dutch Volunteers Deliver Yak-52 to Ukraine to Combat Drones

The Dutch foundation Protect Ukraine has donated a Yak-52 aircraft to the Ukrainian army to support efforts against Russian drones.

According to the Dutch media Scramble, the aircraft was delivered to Ukraine at the end of October.

Protect Ukraine purchased the Yak-52 in the United Kingdom at the request of a Ukrainian aviation unit specializing in drone countermeasures.

The Yak-52 is being used to intercept slower drones, such as the Shahed models.

Pilots attempt to bring down the drones by striking them with the aircraft’s wings or by firing directly from the cockpit.

This is a risky method: the aircraft have no radar, fly low and slow, and remain vulnerable to debris after a drone explosion.

The Yak-52 aircraft delivered by volunteers was dedicated to the fallen pilot Kostiantyn Oborin, callsign “Kamikadze”, who had been shooting down Russian Shahed drones in southern Ukraine.

Yak-52 from Britain

The plane was previously put up for sale by the British company Wilco Aviation, which carried out a major overhaul in 2022.

Built in 1985, the Yak-52 is equipped with a 400 hp M14PF supercharged engine.

The aircraft has undergone significant modifications to improve performance and usability.

The upgrades include replacing the traditional ignition system with an automotive one for more reliable starts, removing heavy wiring and inverter systems in favor of modern, lightweight generator systems, and changes to the lower cylinder drain design that enhance engine efficiency and reliability during challenging flight conditions.

Recently, special forces from the “A” Special Operations Center struck a parking area of Russian Yak-52 aircraft that had been used against Ukrainian drones.