As part of Rinat Akhmetov's Steel Front military initiative, Metinvest has delivered state-of-the-art military equipment for detecting and destroying enemy drones to the servicemen defending Avdiivka and Bakhmut. The cost of the two counter-drone systems donated to the defenders in the Avdiivka sector is UAH1 million.
The military received an ANTIDRON G-6 hardware system for suppressing UAV control channels with a detection range of up to 3,000 metres. This equipment enables them to effectively combat drones by jamming their control and navigation channels. As a result, the UAVs lose their signal and are forced to land.
This anti-drone model was developed in Ukraine for the needs of the army in 2015 and is currently being used by the Border Guard Service and law enforcement agencies to protect strategic military and industrial facilities and soldiers on the front lines.
The defenders have also received a portable five-channel Piranha-Tech jammer, a backpack with radio electronics designed to jam enemy drone signals in the 428 MHz to 5,800 MHz range, from Rinat Akhmetov's Steel Front. One of its advantages is the detection of enemy drones at a distance of up to 5,000 metres. The three anti-drone guns and the included detector create a control line 8,000 metres wide and 2,000 metres deep.
The commander of an air defence unit of one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades defending Ukraine near Avdiivka, known by the call-sign ‘Diesel’, emphasised that such anti-drone guns are a highly effective countermeasure against quadcopters. Ukraine’s defenders have been using them successfully for a long time. The mobility and capacity of the equipment makes it possible to prevent enemy drones from carrying out missions involving aerial reconnaissance, fire control or direct destruction of the enemy.
The anti-drone guns from Steel Front have been added to the unit's existing arsenal. The anti-drone guns provided by Metinvest are already being actively used – not only in combat, but also for training new recruits, according to Diesel. After all, in a real drone attack, the precise and disciplined actions of anti-drone gun operators are the key to the success of a tactical mission.
The cost of the two anti-drone systems delivered to the defenders in the Avdiivka sector is UAH 1 million.
In addition, as part of Rinat Akhmetov's military initiative, the military have received two reconnaissance drones and five powerful EcoFlow multi-charging stations to provide a constant power supply to equipment in the field.
Oleksandr Mironenko, Chief Operating Officer of Metinvest Group, handed over the military equipment to the defenders. He wrote about the next batch of equipment for the military in a post on his Facebook page.
The use of such modern solutions will increase the effectiveness of protecting the positions of our defenders, and, most importantly, this proven technology helps save the lives of servicemen in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. After all, one Ukrainian soldier saves thousands of civilians. So, at this moment, the defenders of Avdiivka are opening the hunting season for the enemy's ”birds”. I am confident that our defenders will catch some good game. We are already preparing a new batch from Steel Front for the front line!
— Oleksandr Mironenko, Chief Operating Officer of Metinvest Group
As a reminder, since 24 February 2022, Metinvest has allocated over UAH3.1 billion to help Ukraine, of which over UAH1.6 billion has been spent on Steel Front's military projects. Within the scope of this initiative, the Group has donated 1,200 drones, nearly 1,700 thermal imagers, 321 vehicles, including ambulances, more than 150,000 bulletproof vests and 25,000 helmets to the defenders.
