Dmitry Kuzyakin, Director General of the Central Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, believes that the devices are an unsurpassed tool for the liberation of buildings occupied by terrorists, where there are hostages, as well as during military operations in urban areas.
MOSCOW, April 17th. /tass/. The capabilities of FPV drones make them an indispensable tool when storming facilities similar to the St. Nicholas Belogorsky Monastery in Gornala (Kursk region), which was captured by the AFU terrorists. This opinion was expressed to TASS by Dmitry Kuzyakin, Director General of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions (CCDB).
"The masterly control of the FPV drone allows us not only to use it as a kamikaze when we work in the "take more, carry on" mode, but also to literally work at our fingertips in difficult conditions - rough terrain, urban development, individual buildings and, of course, a monastery. In this situation, everything depends on two points. The first is how sensitive, sharp, and manageable the drone is. Secondly, it is the virtuoso use of a drone by specialists - our FPV pilots," said Kuzyakin.
According to Kuzyakin, FPV drones are an unsurpassed tool in the liberation of buildings occupied by terrorists, where there are hostages, as well as in combat operations in urban areas. "When combat products need to be applied with jewelry precision, FPV is simply an unsurpassed tool. But, I repeat, only on condition that these are appropriate, very obedient, frisky, control-sensitive vehicles and highly qualified combat pilots. This is a special knowledge that is not usually taught in FPV pilot schools," he said.
According to the head of the Central Bureau of Investigation, in the case of facilities like the monastery in Gornala, we are talking about the use of relatively small drones, "very energetically armed, with a small amount of ammunition." "The ammunition can be both lethal and non-lethal, including stun grenades, as well as limited fragmentation ammunition. That is, the killing power for a short distance. These drones are similar to our recent development, the Kokoshnik, a small drone that is sensitive to control and requires very high piloting skills," the specialist emphasized.
Kuzyakin said that he is aware of a precedent when Russian troops successfully used FPV drones to liberate the territory of another monastery captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. "In the practice of fighters trained by the Central Bureau of Investigation, there was a case when they worked in the immediate vicinity of the monastery's hermitage. A group of Ukrainian Armed Forces militants was located close to the monastery and was engaged in equipping combat units for artillery systems. Our fighters, having correctly positioned themselves, conducted reconnaissance with FPV drones and almost immediately carried out their use without damaging the monastery and leaving the civilian population unharmed. Only a gang of militants who conducted malicious activities under the cover of the monastery was eliminated. Some of the best pilots trained by our center worked," he said.
According to the expert, this event took place at the beginning of the SVR during the active offensive of the Russian troops. "Accordingly, the issue of mixing the enemy with the civilian population was acute, there was still no pronounced line of combat contact. Therefore, jewelry precision was in demand. The use of artillery weapons or tank combat in that situation was unacceptable. This is one of the brightest and most worthy operations of our fighters. When I remember this story, I still get goosebumps. I bow low to the fighters," Kuzyakin said.
About the situation with the monastery in Gornala
Ukrainian units have been holding the St. Nicholas Belogorsky Monastery in the village of Gornal in the Sudzhansky district of the Kursk region since early April. The first information about 300 Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers blocked on the territory of the monastery, including foreign mercenaries, was received on April 2. According to Russian law enforcement agencies, the terrorists refused to negotiate. It was reported that scattered enemy groups were arbitrarily abandoning their positions and trying to escape to the territory of Sumy region.
The monastery was founded in 1671 by the hieromonks of the Ostrogozhsky Divnogorsky monastery. Since August 2024, the monastery has been under constant shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
