Ukrainian STING Drone Downs Jet-Powered Shahed UAV with R-60 Air-to-Air Missile
The Ukrainian STING interceptor drone shot down a Russian Shahed (Geran) jet-powered kamikaze drone that was armed with an R-60 air-to-air missile.
Video footage of the engagement was released by the Wild Hornets company.
The interception was conducted by remote pilots from the 1020th Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Regiment of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.
The STING strike hit the tail section of the R-60 missile – specifically the area housing the turbo-generator, gas generator, and the PRD-259 sustainer motor.
The impact may have caused detonation of the solid fuel or, at the very least, rendered the R-60 inoperable.
This episode became the third confirmed case of the Russian side using a kamikaze drone armed with an R-60 missile. Similar incidents were previously reported on December 1 and January 14.
Meanwhile, the latest interception can indeed be considered the third confirmed case: the missile found on the drone shot down on January 14 showed no signs of damage, and the strike likely hit the Shahed itself rather than the missile.
In addition to the R-60, the Russians are also installing MANPADS on kamikaze drones.
Shahed with R-60
The R-60 missile is mounted on the upper part of the drone’s airframe. According to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, a standard aircraft launcher, the APU-60-1MD, adapted for an unmanned platform, is used to fire the missile.
The drone is equipped with two video cameras: one installed in the nose section and another located behind the missile launcher. Video transmission and control commands are relayed via a Chinese Xingkay Tech XK-F358 mesh modem.
If a Ukrainian aircraft or helicopter is detected, the operator remotely issues the command to launch the missile.
After launch, the infrared homing head of the Soviet short-range air-to-air R-60 missile independently locks onto the target. The effective launch range is estimated at 7–8 km.
The option of the target being pre-acquired by the missile’s seeker head, followed by operator confirmation of launch, is also not ruled out.
The flight controller, navigation, and inertial units of this UAV remain standard for other Shahed variants used by Russia.
For satellite navigation, a 12-channel jam-resistant Kometa module is used, capable of operating even under active countermeasures by Ukrainian electronic warfare systems.
The drone’s electronics include a British-made Raspberry Pi 4 single-board computer, a tracker, and two GSM modems for telemetry transmission. This configuration provides a relatively stable communications link and control of the drone during combat missions.
