Ukraine’s military has downed a Chinese UAV Mugin-5 in the Donetsk region, CNN reports.
The American TV channel says Ukraine’s servicemen escorted journalists to the site where they were shown debris of a combat drone, allegedly taken down last weekend using an AK-47.
Screenshot from a CNN video
The UAV, Ukraine’s servicemembers say, was flying at a very low altitude, low enough to be taken down using a hand-held weapon. Journalists also say that a crater was visible near the drone’s debris, possibly created by a UAV with 20 kg of load.
The Mugin-5 drones are produced by a Chinese manufacturer based in the city of Xiamen. Some tech bloggers say the machines are known as “Alibaba drones” as they have been available for sale for up to $15,000 on Chinese marketplace websites including Alibaba and Taobao, CNN says.
Mugin Limited confirmed to CNN that it was their airframe, calling the incident “deeply unfortunate.” “We do not condone the usage. We are trying our best to stop it,” a spokesperson for Mugin Limited told CNN.
Russia’s Su-27 fighter jet and a US drone collided over the Black Sea yesterday. “Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9,” said US Air Force General James Hecker. According to him, US and allied aircraft will continue to fly in international airspace in accordance with international laws.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claims “the Russian aircraft did not use on-board weapons, did not come into contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle, and returned safely to their home airfield.”
