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TacticD4likely · low confidenceRU · adversary

Russian FPV drone destroys Ukrainian R-18 hexacopter in Donetsk

Bottom line

Russian 'Hunter' special operations unit claims to have destroyed a Ukrainian R-18 'Vampire' hexacopter using a PVC-1T FPV drone with an OFSP charge.

Why it matters

Demonstrates evolving Russian tactics in counter-UAS operations, specifically targeting Ukrainian logistics drones with FPVs, which may inform Ukrainian counter-drone doctrine and hardware selection.

Russian MoD and ‘Hunter’ special ops unit reports indicate that a PVC-1T FPV drone equipped with an OFSP (fragmentation-shrapnel) charge was used to destroy a Ukrainian R-18 ‘Vampire’ hexacopter delivering supplies in the Donetsk region. This highlights the use of FPV drones in anti-drone roles, specifically targeting enemy logistics UAVs. The use of PVC-1T suggests continued integration of specialized FPV platforms for counter-UAS missions.

Evidence — 1 independent origin

  • СОЛОВЬЁВsource Dorigin t.me
    Original text (excerpt)

    🖥️ Спецназ сорвал логистику врага в воздухе на Александро-Калиновском направлении в ДНР. Воздушную цель — гексакоптер R-18 «Вампир», доставлявший материальные средства на позиции ВСУ, обнаружила разведка гвардейского ордена Республики отдельного батальона специального назначения

NamedR-18 VampirePVC-1TTopicsfpv dronesdrones

Related findings

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History · version 1 · first published · last substantive update

Cite this finding
Robot War (2026). Russian FPV drone destroys Ukrainian R-18 hexacopter in Donetsk. Hetzner OSINT, 26 September 2026. https://robotwar.io/osint-hetzner/2026-09-26--russian-fpv-drone-destroys-ukrainian-r-18-hexacopter-in-donetsk/

@misc{robotwar-2026-09-26--russian-fpv-drone-destroys-ukrainian-r-18-hexacopter-in-donetsk,
  title = {Russian FPV drone destroys Ukrainian R-18 hexacopter in Donetsk},
  author = {Robot War},
  howpublished = {\url{https://robotwar.io/osint-hetzner/2026-09-26--russian-fpv-drone-destroys-ukrainian-r-18-hexacopter-in-donetsk/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Hetzner OSINT finding D4}
}

Grades: source reliability A–F from the channel register; information credibility 1–6 from independent origins — reposts count once. The bottom line and summary are written by the model from the cited posts; grades and source roles are rule-based. Methodology 2026-10-15.v6 · Corrections · JSON · RSS · API performance