Ukrainian MiG-29 shoots down a Russian jet drone on video

A Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter has shot down a Russian jet-powered drone with its onboard cannon, and the moment was caught on video. According to a Ukrainian news site, the footage shows the pilot chasing the enemy aerial target, closing in and opening fire.

The direct hit made the Russian drone explode in mid-air, after which the Ukrainian MiG flew through the resulting cloud of flames. The location of the clash has not been disclosed. The footage looks extremely dramatic: experts say that fighting jet drones at extremely close range always carries huge risk for pilots.

What the MiG-29 is

The MiG-29 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum) is a twin-engine fighter designed primarily for manoeuvring combat. It was developed in the 1970s in the Soviet Union by the Mikoyan and Gurevich design bureau as a counterweight to the American F-14 and F-15. It first flew in 1976. It is known for great agility, but its Klimov RD-33 engines are thirsty.

MiG-29s were built from 1982 and delivered to Soviet forces from 1983 to 1993. They also entered service with Warsaw Pact countries, including Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Poland and Hungary, as well as countries of the former Yugoslavia, Algeria and other African states.

MiGs from allies

Since independence in 1991, the MiG-29 has formed the backbone of Ukrainian tactical aviation. During the Russian invasion the aircraft have undergone major upgrades that turned them into carriers of modern Western weapons. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine inherited more than 230 MiG-29s, but a lack of funds, sales of equipment abroad and gradual obsolescence cut their number sharply.

Before the invasion, Ukraine had roughly 35 to 50 operational aircraft. Given heavy combat losses and wear, it had to rely on allied help: the MiG-29 became the first supersonic fighter type that Western countries officially provided to Kyiv. In 2023 Slovakia handed over all 13 of its grounded MiG-29AS/UBS fighters: some went into service right away, while others served as a source of spare parts. Poland has so far delivered 14 aircraft, and the United States helped secure key spare parts, including the RD-33 engines. Older airframes from Kazakhstan, for cannibalisation or as decoys (dummies at airfields), and previously repaired aircraft from Azerbaijan have also reached Ukraine.

MiG-29 specifications: height 4.73 m, length 17.32 m, wingspan 11.36 m, speed 2,450 km/h (Mach 2.3), ceiling 17,000 m, range 1,770 km, maximum take-off weight 18,480 kg.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz