A drone named "The Sun": how the ingenuity of the fighters helps to create new products for the front

"Guys, help with water and food!" — it is not uncommon to hear on the radio from fighters fighting at the front and cut off from ground communications: we are talking about the airlift of provisions. Drones today perform a universal role, from kamikazes and repeaters to messengers like this. In the Kursk direction, craftsmen from the 30th regiment constructed a cargo copter designed specifically for transporting "parcels". It is capable of transporting up to 10 kg at a time and, most importantly, returning back. The cost of the device, according to the military, is minimal. The novelty is already being sent to various units of the North group. A special correspondent of Izvestia visited the laboratory where models are made and learned what the "eight" axis is, how the "Star" differs from the "Sun" and how to create the products needed for the front from improvised materials.

Resilience and survivability

Kursk region. A point at a safe distance from the line of contact. A concrete bag is a basement in which a newly created group of craftsmen assembles a newly invented drone: security measures are dictated by the fact that the UAV laboratories and the operators themselves are a priority target for the enemy. The copter is available in two versions: "Star" and "Sun". The first has a load capacity of up to 6 kg, the second — up to 10 kg (plans to increase to 15 kg). A dozen "birds" gather in these walls a week, designed to make life easier for our guys who are going on the offensive.

The commander of the group is 37—year-old Alexey with the eloquent call sign Device. Like many techies, he is passionate about his business — he spends time at machines and tools from morning to night, obsessed with improving the UAV he created. And I am very grateful to the regimental commanders for responding to the initiative, allocating people for the laboratory and sending new ones for training.

— We use the principle of "octo" (Latin for "eight". — Izvestia), — says Alexey. — That is, the drone's frame has eight beams. The drone itself is correctly called an "octocopter".

Unlike four-axis quadrocopters and six-axis hexacopters, which are mainly used at the front, the octocopter, firstly, takes on more weight, and secondly, it is very tenacious, explains the device. So, the "Star" has eight propellers, the "Sun" has 16. If one, two, or even three propellers are damaged or malfunctioning, it will continue to move and complete the task.

Also, eight axes make it stable in strong winds. It is important that such a drone is reusable, that is, it returns back: the usual FPVS fly only one way. Another crucial point is cheapness: the fighters collect it, according to them, literally from waste — from parts of emergency drones.

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The principle of independence

"We use spare parts, of which there are thousands in positions and in the rear, they are lying idle," the source explains. — The expenses are minimal. For example, prices for some agricultural enterprises that have been converted for military use start at one million rubles. There are few accessories for them, I don't want to sacrifice such equipment once again. We are not dependent on supplies, we always have everything we need at hand. Moreover, a competent operator can fix almost any damage on the spot on his own.

In the workshops, everyone is busy with their own business. Someone is soldering, someone is sawing, someone is cooking, someone is engaged in software. The main donors for cargo UAVs are ordinary small FPVS, both ours and Ukrainian ones. Duralumin and carbon beams are removed from them, enlarged to the required size by welding or bolts: the "Star" and "Sun" have their own verified geometry. A flight controller, an engine, a video camera are installed on the finished frame, propellers, a reset mechanism, and a landing gear are attached. Two batteries are attached to an eight-screw copter, and four to a 16—screw copter. The flight range of the same "Sun" can reach 20-25 km, that is, 10-12 km there, the same amount back.

The purpose of the machines is not limited to the delivery of goods. They can act as repeaters (radio signal amplifiers). Or remotely drop shells and mines, the characteristics of the "Sun" allow you to carry even a heavy TM-62 anti-tank.

Motorcycle squad — PMCs — "thirty"

In civilian life, the device worked as a lifeguard and a car mechanic. He comes from Lyubertsy, from a family of railroad workers. From a young age, he said, he tinkered with mechanisms. In the 7th grade, I built a moped. He was fond of road motorcycle racing. He graduated from vocational school. I spent all my free time in the garage.

At the age of 19, he joined a rescue motorcycle squad, first in the region, then in Moscow. The task was to be the first to arrive at the scene of accidents and other emergencies, assess the situation, and provide first aid to victims if necessary.

In 2023, after his childhood friend was called up (with whom they disappeared in the garage), and then his comrade-colleague died under the Red Estuary, he volunteered for the SVO zone. He signed a contract with a private military company, and spent eight months near Bakhmut. After graduation, I was going to return to the rescue center in Moscow. But, he says, he never got to the service on the first day — he turned back. The reason is "I realized that I didn't finish something." I went to the military enlistment office. That's how I got into the top thirty. I started from Volchansk. In August 2024, his unit was transferred to the Kursk region.

"In March of this year, together with the guys, we participated in the aerial control of the situation during Operation Potok," recalls the Device. — Actually, we didn't know that our guys had gone underground through a pipe, we just saw that they suddenly found themselves in the epicenter of the AFU positions. The task was to identify the enemy's artillery with the help of scouts, to stop his rear. We were able to identify several cannon barrels that were firing from the forest belt at the stormtroopers who joined the battle. The coordinates were transmitted. And the Phabs hit there. I remember there was a lull after about an hour — and our people were silent, and they…

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A life-saving package

The importance of delivering food, water, and medicines by air cannot be overestimated. What is one example of Zakaria Aliyev, call sign Smiley, who spent three weeks in enemy trenches, moving through machine-gun emplacements, holding them and creating the appearance of an entire squad. Tanks were hitting it, Baba Yaga was regularly bombarded with mines, and enemy infantry came within grenade range, but did not dare to storm it. Zakaria ate the onions he found, and collected water drop by drop from polyethylene. It was possible to establish some kind of supply for the Smiley precisely with the help of the "air road" — the operators of the Ossetian detachment noticed him and first of all sent a bottle of water and a note "Hold on, brother!". Then, with the help of a drone (which led behind itself), they showed the way to their own.

The footage taken last September, when our fighter receives the discharged water, has also become textbook. The camera captures his reaction — he clutches the bottle to his chest, kisses it, waves happily at the drone, and also points to the shelter where his comrades are sitting.

I would like to note that, when I was in the positions, as a correspondent, I repeatedly had to hear how soldiers on the radio were asking for help with water and food. I saw our operators tape a couple of cans of stew and a bottle and a half of water to the FPV (you can't send more at a time). Therefore, the high payload capacity of the UAV is, of course, extremely important.

The "Star" and "Sun" are an example when an initiative from below was heard and developed. The next step, according to the military, could be the mass production of such devices on a civilian basis. We need a lot of cargo copters at the front.