‘Forpost Motherf***er’ - Ukraine Nails Half-Ton High Altitude Russian Drone

Ukrainian forces have shot down a rare Russian “Forpost-R” drone at an altitude of 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) using an anti-aircraft drone.

The successful strike on Monday, April 20, was carried out by the 414th Separate Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces, better known as the “Birds of Madyar,” who released footage their drone striking the tail of the Russian UAV.

The Ukrainian military issues outlet Militarniy, described the “Forpost-R” as a full-fledged strike and reconnaissance drone, based on the Israeli Searcher II, with a wingspan of 9 meters (30 feet), a length of 6 meters (20 feet), and a takeoff weight of about 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) – much larger than the commonly seen Orlan-10 Russian drone, which weighs around 18 kilograms (40 pounds).

Russia licensed the design from Israel Aerospace Industries in 2012, using Israeli parts for early models. After the imposition of sanctions in 2014, Moscow claimed to have shifted to using domestic components. In 2019, the upgraded “Forpost-R” was unveiled with the ability to deliver small, guided bombs like the KAB-20S.

“This is the first public case of an anti-aircraft drone intercepting such a large target,” Militarniy reported.

The interception occurred at around 4 kilometers altitude after which the damaged drone eventually glided into Russian-controlled territory. While the hit was confirmed, it’s unclear if the UAV crashed or landed safely.

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“Fighter pilots from the ‘Birds of the Madyar’ hit an exotic aircraft at 4 kilometers altitude - Forpost motherf***er! Range: 250-400 kilometers [150-250 miles], flight time: 17.5 hours, cost: $7 million,” reads the report from Commander Robert Brovdi, callsign “Madyar.”

In contrast, Brovdi says the Ukrainian anti-aircraft drone that brought it down cost just $6,000.

“The attack is significant because it shows Ukrainian anti-aircraft drones can now strike targets at altitudes far higher than smaller reconnaissance UAVs such as the Orlan-10 or Zala, which usually don’t exceed 1-1.5 kilometers,” Militarniy read.

The Gruz 200 Telegram channel also posted footage of the hit, captioning it: “This large UAV does not like to take risks and usually flies high and far from the front line, so the case is truly unprecedented.”

This interception adds to a growing list of extraordinary and successful drone strikes by Ukrainian operators. Just a day earlier, on April 19, Ukraine’s 152nd Separate Chasseurs Brigade reported hitting a Russian armored train with a kamikaze drone during an attempted assault near the front line.

The online video shows a drone flying under the locomotive before detonating, which the brigade captioned: “We haven’t shot down a locomotive yet. But everything happens for the first time.”

An aerial reconnaissance officer told Kyiv Post the strike was “truly unique,” noting the outdated Russian tactic: “Using a train like this is about as effective as using pack animals.”

Telegram users mocked the move. Junior Sergeant Stanislav Bunyatov of the 24th Aidar Assault Battalion wrote: “They used the railway to break through… but it didn’t work out.” The “Gruz 200” channel added: “Without the ability to maneuver, the train was simply f***ed up by FPV drones.”