Ukraine's new anti-aircraft gun could lay waste to Iranian-made Russian 'suicide drones'

Ukraine's air defence has been bolstered after the Viktor anti-aircraft machine-gun entered operational service, to help combat Iranian-made Shahed 'suicide drones'.

The Viktor is a twin 14.5mm barrelled anti-aircraft weapon, capable of shooting down and destroying drones, fighter aircraft and helicopters at distances of up to 1.24 miles.

The armed forces of Ukraine have received 15 of the guns, which are typically seen mounted onto the rear of Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles.

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One Ukrainian commander explained that the weapons come fitted with a collimator sight, used to perfect aim, and a thermal imager so that the gun can be used during night-time operations.

The Russians' Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles can carry around a 30kg warhead and are, in fact, not a drone – they are a loitering munition.

Ukrainian troops hope that the Viktor gun, which is fired using a foot pedal, will prevent Russian air attacks from breaking through Ukraine's air defences. 

This comes after the latest Ministry of Defence intelligence said that Russia is working to start domestic production of one-way attack (OWA) uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), "almost certainly with Iranian assistance".