A viral video circulating online shows Ukrainian soldiers operating from Soviet-era Yak-52 propeller aircraft, leaning out of the cockpit and engaging Russian drones with rifles and shotguns.
Grimly Cyberpunk Video Shows Ukrainian Soldiers Leaning Out of Propeller Plane to Obliterate Drones With Rifles | Victor Tangermann, Futurism
A video of Ukrainian soldiers shooting down Russian drones with rifles — while leaning out of Soviet-era propeller planes like World War… pic.twitter.com/6tX27pn76c
— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) May 5, 2026
According to The Wall Street Journal, Ukraine’s 11th Army Aviation Brigade has reportedly destroyed dozens of Russian drones using this unconventional airborne interception method involving Yak-52 trainer aircraft.
The footage has drawn comparisons to historical air combat, including World War I and World War II tactics, where close-range engagements and visual targeting were central to aerial warfare.
“There is such great new technology now, yet I am still hanging out of the cockpit shooting at drones with a shotgun,” one mechanic-turned gunner told the WSJ.
The Yak-52 is a Soviet-era, two-seat piston trainer that first flew in the 1970s and was used primarily to train student pilots. It was not designed for combat and has no weapons, radar, or self-protection systems.
It has a top speed of about 285 km/h (177 mph), a cruise speed around 190 km/h (118 mph), and a stall speed between roughly 85 and 105 km/h (53 to 65 mph), depending on configuration.
For comparison, Russian Shahed drones typically cruise at about 170 to 200 km/h (106 to 124 mph), with newer variants reportedly reaching speeds of up to around 400 km/h (249 mph).
This is not the first time Ukraine has repurposed older aircraft for counter-drone warfare.
The Antonov An-28, a Soviet-era twin-propeller transport aircraft, is now being used by Ukrainian forces as a platform for counter-drone operations. The aircraft has reportedly been outfitted with a six-barrel M134 Minigun, underwing interceptor drones, and virtual reality headsets to support night-time targeting.
🔥🚨 The New York Times released a new video report on Ukraine’s legendary An-28 “Shahed hunter”
A civilian An-28 transformed into a flying anti-drone interceptor platform, retrofitted with a minigun and modified to deploy interceptor drones mid-air.
The report centers not just… pic.twitter.com/AV9dm8EgHP
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 5, 2026
Defense Express reported that Russia is considering copying Ukraine’s approach of using light aircraft, particularly An-28, as “motherships” for anti-aircraft drones.
