How Ukraine Is Destroying Russian Drones Using Modified Yak-52 Training Propeller Aircraft

Despite having some of the West's most advanced air defences, including the Patriot missile system and F-16 jets, Ukraine has also deployed low-cost solutions, such as modified Yak-52 training aircraft, to hunt Russian drones, The Wall Street Journal reported. Gunners on these prop planes use rifles and shotguns to shoot the drones down.

The unconventional method is believed to be part of other low-cost tactics to thwart aerial threats. As per the report, Ukraine has also used nets and signal jamming during its ongoing war against Russia. Ukraine even used pickup truck-mounted heavy machine guns to try to destroy explosive-laden Shahed drones. The Yak-52 has been adapted for counter-drone operations. Some of the aircraft reportedly feature fixed gun mounts, sensor turrets and electronic warfare systems.

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❗️The Wall Street Journal story about the work of a 🇺🇦Ukrainian unit that uses Soviet Yak-52 training aircraft to combat 🇷🇺Russian drones. pic.twitter.com/rbsrhTpDr8

— 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) August 25, 2025

Ukrainian Yak-52s have apparently shot down several Russian drones, including Orlan-10 and ZALA models. One Yak-52 even displayed kill marks for eight drones downed. As per the report, the pilots and gunners in Ukraine's 11th Army Aviation Brigade using Yak-52 prop planes have shot down 120 drones this past year with only shotguns and rifles.

"There is such great new technology now, yet I am still hanging out of the cockpit shooting at drones with a shotgun," said an auto mechanic-turned gunner.

The WSJ report mentions two Ukrainians, a 56-year-old pilot and a 38-year-old gunner, who were part of these operations. The pilot reportedly learned to fly as a hobby before the war, and the gunner is a former auto mechanic who had never been in a plane before the invasion. They were seen coming out of a Soviet-era propeller-driven plane, with one carrying a rifle.

As quoted, Deputy Commander Col Mykola Lykhatskiy said that these "unlikely air warriors" have flown around 300 combat missions as part of the 11th Army Aviation Brigade. They destroyed almost half the unit's total of 120 drones.

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All you need to know about the modified Yak-52 prop planes

The two-seater Yak-52 trainers have a sliding glass canopy, and they are airborne within 15 minutes.

The Yak-52 doesn't have radar of its own and can only fly in the daytime, when the crew is guided by radio before visual contact.

The pilots and the gunners are supposed to wear thick jackets as it gets so cold in the cockpit in the winter. They wear gloves and fur-lined flying helmets.

Like World War II, pilots and gunners sit near their planes and wait for the command.

As per the report, the prop planes fly within 200 to 300 feet of the drone, then the gunner opens the canopy and attempts to shoot down the drone.

The main targets of these planes are Orlan and Zala reconnaissance drones. And also Shahed explosive drones.

Russia's response 

Russia has taken notice of Ukraine's drone-hunting tactics and is now developing its own version of the Yak-52, dubbed the Yak-52B2, with a shotgun mounted under the wing for shooting down drones.

Engaging drones with handheld guns or rifles from a moving aircraft is extremely challenging, requiring great skill and coordination between the pilot and gunner.

Ukraine's use of Yak-52s for drone hunting highlights the country's resourcefulness in adapting to the demands of the conflict and the evolving drone threat.