Ukrainian soldier prepares a Baba Yaga heavy night bomber for launch
Every war throws up its dark legends, and in this conflict Russian soldiers have learned to fear Ukraine's ‘Baba Yaga,’ heavy bomber drones which fly by night, hovering over their positions and raining down destruction on tanks and infantry positions from above, even hitting fast-moving vehicles. In recent months Russian snipers have started downing them, but, like other small drones, Baba Yaga evolves fast and a new, deadlier version has now appeared.
“Nothing Can Save You From Baba Yaga”
Small quadcopters are effective daytime bombers, but the larger versions make so much noise and are so conspicuous that they can easily be spotted and make easier targets for small arms fire. So Ukrainian multicopter heavy bombers are almost always fitted with thermal imagers and used as night bombers. The Russians can still hear them –- they are described as sounding ‘like a chainsaw’ – but not see them, even when they start bombing. No wonder they have become figures of terror.
The name Baba Yaga does not refer to a specific drone type, but is a nickname given by Russian soldiers to any multicopter night bomber. The original Baba Yaga was a witch in Slavic folklore who ate children and flew around at night, not on a broomstick like her Western counterpart but in an iron kettle or mortar and pestle, sometimes close enough to touch the ground.
The name was first used in the early days of the invasion, most likely applied to the R18 octocopter bombers flow by the Aerorozvidka group. A mythology soon grew up around the night bombers: according to one story, it could swoop down and carry off wounded soldiers in pincer-like claws.
Unlike other drones, Baba Yaga was said to be completely immune to jamming. Asked whether their electronic warfare was effective, one Russian soldier replied: “For small drones, yes, but nothing can save [you] from ‘Baba Yaga.'”
Russian Telegram channel Frontline Tractor describes says that the only protection is to dig in “The soldiers are digging their machines into the ground with shovels, their hands bleeding, to save the equipment from the mines that this flying monster is dropping.”
One Russian news channel reported that Baba Yaga drones fly at an altitude of just 100 feet / 30 meters at a speed of 25 mph/ 40 kph.
In October 2023 , Russian forces were able to examine a downed Baba Yaga. One of its key features was a Starlink terminal mounted on the top, giving long-range communication via satellite; this type of upward-pointing link is difficult to jam. The Russians claim that it is possible to interfere with communications using multiple jammers, when this happens the drone descends – presumably to connect with a ground station – and can be brought down by gunfire.
OSINT analyst DanielR posted a Twitter thread on the Russian findings noting that the electronics are competently assembled to a good standard, and, significantly, all-Ukrainian manufacture rather than being a rebranded Chinese product. One of the Russian analysts remarks, “I have never seen such a complex product among our developers…the proposal to make something entirely our own is constantly met with denial at all levels.”
Two years in, Russia has not succeeded in fielding anything equivalent.
A Coven Of Baba Yagas
Two types of Baba Yaga-type drones can be seen behind a mass of FPVs in this Ukrainian Drone Assault ... [+]
Ukraine now fields a bewildering variety of night bombers, many of which are made locally and have no known name. There are also repurposed DJI Matrice 300 industrial drones, plus the Aerorozvodka R18s and at least two other types being produced in large nunbers – the Kazhan 620 (“Bat”) and the smaller Vampire. In August 2023 the Army of Drones project announced it was sending 270 Vampires to the front. A typical cost is around $25,000, ten times as much as a Mavic-type drone but with a vastly greater bombload.
These would all be classed as Baba Yaga by the Russians, though they have a wide range of different capabilities in terms of speed, range and electronics fit. Some are capable of dropping six mortar bombs, adjusting aim so that the second or third usually strikes the target, other can drop a single TM-62 anti-tank mine with an impact fuse.
These invisible enemies have a terrifying effect, especially as they are so resistant to jamming. Netting and cope cages which may stop smaller drones are no protection against a 21-pound / 9.5 kilo mine dropping on to your vehicle from above.
The Russians have found two means of stopping the Baba Yaga; FPV interceptors and snipers. As reported previously, FPV drones with night vision attack Baba Yagas in kamikaze style – and in response the bombers now have escorts of smaller drones to take out the interceptors.
Each Russian infantry platoon has a sniper team, typically armed with the SVD or modernized SVDM rifle firing high-power 7.62×54mmR ammunition. The original SVD has been in service since 1963, a semi-automatic weapon with a range of over 800 meters and a ten-round magazine. At least some Russian snipers are equipped with thermal imaging sights such as the Shakhin 1PN140 which means that, unlike other troops, they have some chance of hitting Baba Yagas.
Sniper Shoot Downs
The Russians post videos of shoot-down by snipers on social media, like this one from April 21st. Another video from April 20th gives a better idea: the Baba Yaga is moving at low speed, and the sniper takes seven shots in succession at the octocopter before he hits it.
Another video from March 2nd shows a Baba Yaga being “shot down using small arms equipped with a thermal imaging sight.” This appears to be a large quadcopter, again with the firing using a series of single shots rather the automatic fire of standard anti-aircraft guns. The thermal imaging sight has a different display to the other two.
Elsewhere we only see the results: this post from March 4th shows three large drones reportedly brought down by “riflemen with thermal imagers” from a unit calling itself Scorpions-328.
The snipers are having an effect, so a counter is called for. Dmitry Rogozin, a Russian senator who was once head of Russia’s NASA and active in military technology startups, says Ukraine now has stealth Baba Yagas.
Silent Death
Rogozin’s post, picked up by WarTranslated on April 23rd, claims a new silent Baba Yaga is now being deployed:
“The enemy drones came not from the front, but from the rear. Which speaks to their growing range capabilities. We only detected them with the help of night vision cameras placed around the perimeter of our position. The drones were inaudible, but clearly visible through thermal imaging sights at a distance of several kilometers.”
Rogozin says the drones were not shot down, claiming “we study their habits, routes and tactics… The main thing is not to shoot down the drones, but to kill their operators by figuring out their hiding place.” Another explanation, of course, is that they were unable to shoot down the Baba Yaga.
Silencing technology to make rotors and propellers quieter is already well known, but usually comes at an efficiency cost. The stealth version likely has shorter range than the standard model, so it is interesting that it should be able to approach Russian positions from behind.
Earlier Rogozin had stated that the Baba Yagas are also escorted by other drones and react to being fired upon “when a ZU-23 anti aircraft gun began firing on drones a few kilometers away from us, all the Ukrainian drone groups interrupted their flight and immediately moved towards the detected target, methodically destroying it.”
The drone air war is getting more complex. As defenders get more successful at shooting down drones, drone operators will devote more effort to both stealth and defense suppression. In future the noisy Baba Yagas may be there mainly to flush out the defenders so they can be neutralized.
