`Send us shotguns,` a Russian soldier said in a video sent to supporters back home late last month.
Shotguns, also known as shotguns, are being considered the `final solution` to help soldiers deal with hundreds of thousands of unmanned vehicles (drones) flooding the Ukrainian battlefield.
Russian and Ukrainian soldiers both use handheld electronic warfare equipment to jam enemy drones, but the operators constantly change the control frequency and use anti-jamming systems.
Russian soldier with Vepr-12 semi-automatic shotgun.
Former Russian colonel Andrey Koshkin said last month that when electronic warfare systems cannot disable drones, shotguns can be an alternative solution.
Several Russian units recently received shotguns to shoot down Ukrainian drones, including soldiers assigned to protect the demining engineering team and the Tor air defense complex.
Some Russian soldiers are equipped with Vepr-12 semi-automatic shotguns with a 5-round magazine and shaped like an AK gun.
Others use a GP-25 shotgun conversion kit installed under the barrel of an AK gun to take down drones.
Russian and Ukrainian soldiers used guns to shoot down drones
Russian soldiers practice taking down drones with a device that fires shotgun shells from a GP-25 grenade launcher installed under an AK-74 gun in a video released on May 7.
Ukraine also applies the solution of using shotguns to take down drones like Russian forces.
In addition to providing shotguns to soldiers, Ukraine also offers training courses on how to use this weapon to deal with drones.
According to a Ukrainian instructor who has been a hunter for many years, the soldiers tasked with using shotguns to take down enemy drones `are selected from those with experience as hunters, then those with shooting skills.`
This mission also requires soldiers to be brave.
Escort BTS12 gun.
In addition to practicing shooting down targets flying at high speed, soldiers participating in the training course must also learn how to ensure their own safety, especially not chasing achievements.
`Don’t run after drones to prove that you’ve taken them down. Don’t pick them up, this is no different from playing with fire,` the Ukrainian trainer said, referring to the dangers of unexploded or tactical drones.
Shotguns can shoot down explosive drones or first-person suicide drones (FPV), giving soldiers the best chance of survival from enemy attacks compared to running away, Ukrainian trainers say
However, shotguns are not a comprehensive solution in dealing with drones.
Both Russia and Ukraine also equip drones with thermal imaging cameras for night raids.
