General Cherry AIR Destroyed Russian Chernika Drone for the First Time

A Russian Chernika kamikaze drone was shot down for the first time over Zaporizhzhia using the General Cherry AIR interceptor drone.

The Russian drone was destroyed by the Posipaky unit of the 39th Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment and the 23rd Public Order Protection Brigade ‘Khortytsia’ of the National Guard of Ukraine.

The occupiers use this drone for reconnaissance and attacks on frontline regions, representatives of the company General Cherry told Militarnyi.

The Chernika is distinguished by its small size, low production cost, and resistance to electronic warfare measures.

The drone is designed as a flying wing and has a maximum strike range of 80 to 100 km depending on the variant, a cruising speed of about 75 km/h, and a practical flight altitude of up to 1.5 km.

The payload weight is 0.7 kg in the Chernika-1 version and up to 3.5 kg in the Chernika-2 version.

Some Russian sources also report that the drone is equipped with a guidance system and is capable of operating on autopilot until it reaches the target area.

To counter these drones, the Ukrainian military deployed General Cherry AIR interceptor drones.

The interceptor is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 160–170 km/h, while its cruising speed is approximately 130 km/h.

With a payload of up to 1.2 kg, the General Cherry AIR can remain airborne for up to 35 minutes and operate within a radius of up to 16 km.

Its practical service ceiling reaches 6,000 meters, and it takes less than three minutes to prepare the system for deployment.

The system is equipped with a daytime camera capable of target recognition at ranges of up to 1,500 meters and a thermal imaging camera that can detect objects at distances of up to 1,100 meters.