Dramatic footage has captured the moment a Ukrainian gunner in the rear seat of a light aircraft opened fire from an exposed cockpit and brought down multiple Russian drones.
The video shows the co-pilot of a Yak-52 positioned behind the pilot, raising an assault rifle and taking aim at incoming Shahed drones as the aircraft closes in.
In one sequence, after the gunner fires, a faint stream of smoke can be seen trailing from the drone’s right wing. Moments later, as the pilot moves nearer, the aircraft erupts in an explosion over the sea.
Other clips appear to show the rear-seat marksman targeting additional enemy drones, with some bursting into flames, others detonating after slamming into a field, and another disappearing down through the cloud cover.
The Iranian-made Shahed drones have become one of Tehran’s most significant contributions to Vladimir Putin’s war effort, with Russian forces modifying and deploying them in repeated attacks across Ukraine.
The footage emerged as Russia faced a fresh wave of long-range Ukrainian strikes, including an attack reported to have targeted a key base linked to the country’s nuclear missile forces.
A site described as a military barracks in Russia’s Saratov region was seen engulfed in flames after missile and drone alerts were issued today.
The nearby Engels-2 airbase hosts some of Putin’s prized strategic nuclear-capable bombers, aircraft that have repeatedly been used to launch Kh-101 missile strikes against Ukraine.
A Ukrainian Yak-52 backseat gunner has shot down a Shahed drone from the plane’s open cockpit
Footage captured the co-pilot aiming his assault rifle at the Russian drone before shooting it out of the sky
The video footage comes as Ukrainian forces are hitting Russia with a wave of long-range strikes
There were no reports of any casualties at the airbase located near the city of Engels.
The Ukrainian strike came after new intelligence suggests Putin is plotting a massive autumn offensive, having recruited more Russian men to fight, in an attempt to reverse setbacks.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky warned that his secret service agents assess Putin is poised for a huge new mobilisation draft in September or October.
‘We have clear information from intelligence that Russia is preparing a new wave of mobilisation for the autumn, a rather significant one,’ he said.
‘At the same time, the Russians are losing more of their soldiers on the front lines than they are recruiting, and Putin intends to increase attacks and expand this war. He needs more Russians to participate in the assaults.
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‘We must proactively protect ourselves from this – at all levels: on the front lines, through our long-range sanctions, through our mid-range strikes, through our diplomacy, and, of course, through communication with everyone who is able to support life and bring peace closer.’
Ukraine has also been flexing its long-distance unmanned aerial power with strikes on oil refineries.
A refinery some 1,170 miles from the front line in the Siberian city of Tyumen exploded earlier today.
Ukrainian forces have drone striked a Russian oil refinery in the Tyumen region
Black smoke erupts from an oil refinery in Ulyanovsk that was hit by Ukrainian drones
Russia’s Amazon, Wildberries, has been attacked by drones ten times in the last week
Putin was visiting Omsk, 338 miles away, before a drone alert was issued ahead of his meeting with Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
In the Ulyanovsk region, kamikaze drones hit another refinery which burst into flames more than 600 miles away from Ukraine.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine also shared drone footage in a post on X titled: ‘A massive Russian armoured assault on Dobropillia axis ended in failure’.
The post showed drones seconds before impact and said Ukrainian forces destroyed nine Russian tanks, two armoured vehicles, three Grad MLRS and dozens of soldiers.
Yesterday Ukraine suffered a major blow with a Russian attack on an arms exhibition which killed ten and left 70 wounded.
Among the dead was Valentyna Savitska, head of the Centre for International Co-operation and Strategic Communications at the State Security Service.
Her husband, Ihor Solovey, head of the Spravdi Centre for Strategic Communications, said: ‘My family is experiencing a terrible tragedy.’
In the last week, Russia’s Amazon, known as Wildberries, has been hit by drones ten times in a blitz of attacks.
The latest strike which took place today narrowly missed a warehouse in Yekaterinburg over 1,000 miles from the front line but it did destroy delivery trucks and force workers to flee.
It is said that the financial impact the war has had on the Russian economy may soon reach £3billion.
