Ukraine released a video of the Switchblade ‘God-killer’ attacking Russian soldiers

Video posted to Facebook shows the Switchblade stalking and attacking a group of Russian soldiers. Few details were given in the post but the group of Russian soldiers in the video can be seen in what appears to be a trench on Ukrainian territory. The attack drone hit the road near the soldiers, sending them rushing to find cover.

Video taken by drone shows Russian soldiers fleeing into nearby corrugated iron structures, where they quickly disappear from view. This is believed to be the first attack recorded by video of the Switchblade God of War UAV – a weapon that is expected to be able to “change the game” on the Ukrainian battlefield.

The video was accompanied by a message from Colonel Dmitry Titenko – commander of Ukraine’s 53rd Mechanized Brigade, written in Ukrainian, translated as follows: “In extremely difficult conditions, despite artillery fire Our infantry, enemy tanks, and infantry still confidently attacked and maintained their position. It was the infantry who were the first to face the enemy, approach and destroy them.”

The commander of the 53rd Mechanized Brigade also acknowledged that most ground losses in the conflict were “borne by the infantry” and paid tribute to the “sacrifice of our comrades, who gave their lives in battles to defend Ukraine”.

The Switchblade suicide drone (UAV) was dubbed “God of Wind” by the US and delivered to Ukraine in the security support packages that the Joe Biden administration approved for Kiev is expected to be possible. causing the “worst nightmare” for the Russian military.

The Switchblade is cheaper than other air-to-ground missiles such as the Hellfire fired from Reaper drones, but it is said to be an anti-tank weapon or against other target groups such as enemy soldiers.

Initially, the Switchblade was built by AeroVironment for the US special operations forces with 2 versions, one to attack enemy troops and another model that could pursue tanks and armored vehicles.

Switchblade can destroy targets up to 80km away. When “Divine Wind” is launched, it can avoid enemy fire thanks to its advanced camera and navigation system. Shenfeng can even hover around the target for 40 minutes until the fire control mechanism determines favorable conditions for attack.

When the target is determined, the Switchblade 600 drone model (heavier, specialized to destroy tanks) dives at a speed of 185km / h to penetrate the armor of the tank. The Switchblade 300 is lighter (specialized to attack people) and can only hover for 15 minutes before attacking soldiers in the open.

The Switchblade is a tube-launched weapon that can be carried in a backpack. Remote-controlled smart bombs are easy to use and cost-effective at around $6,000 each. The Switchblade is believed to be possibly the weapon used by the US to kill Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in 2020, who was the commander of the Quds force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.