Ukrainian air defense shoots down a Russian Kartograph UAV
6 May, 2023 Wreckage of the downed Russian Kartograph UAV, May 6, 2023. Photo credits: Air Command East On Saturday afternoon, the air defense of Ukraine shot down the Russian Kartograph reconnaissance drone.
The enemy drone was neutralized in the area of the city of Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine showcased the wreckage of the destroyed Russian reconnaissance drone. Kartograph UAV was shot down by the troops of the Air Command East unit of the Ukrainian Air Force at 10:02 a.m. on May 6.
Wreckage of the downed Russian Kartograph UAV, May 6, 2023.
Photo credits: Air Command East
The published photos featuring the wreckage of the hull of the Russian drone in the Kryvyi Rih area portray 12 cameras with which it is equipped for conducting reconnaissance.
Wreckage of the downed Russian Kartograph UAV, May 6, 2023. Photo credits: Air Command East
This drone is designed for panoramic aerial photo and video recording with the possibility of transmitting the collected information to the control post in real time.
Wreckage of the downed Russian Kartograph UAV, May 6, 2023. Photo credits: Air Command East
This is not a unique case when the Armed Forces of Ukraine shoot down such a Russian drone.
The previous case of the downing of the Kartograph drone in the Dnipropetrovsk region took place on the afternoon of May 3. The drone was intercepted in the Mykolaivka area of the Dnipro district.
- The downed Russian Kartograph drone, May 3, 2023. Photo credits: Air Command East
- The downed Russian Kartograph drone, May 3, 2023.
Photo credits: Air Command East
The Ukrainian military has also neutralized such enemy drones in various directions before. The Russian invasion forces use this UAV for reconnaissance in order to adjust artillery fire or missile strikes.
Russian Kartograf UAV shot down over Ukraine, September 2022. Photo credits: Ukrainian Air Forces
The Kartograph UAV is immensely similar to the Orlan family of aircraft, but has a number of differences and the characteristic blue color of the body.
Individual components of the UAV, in particular the optical-electronic system, are manufactured by a Russian company that is under US sanctions and cooperates with the Orlan UAV manufacturing plant.