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Hier — 13 juillet 2025Flux principal
  • ✇Euromaidan Press
  • Rheinmetall’s Skynex guns now used to wipe out Russian Shaheds from Ukrainian skies—video shows flawless kills
    Ukraine is now using German-supplied Oerlikon Skynex short-range air defense (SHORAD) system against Russia’s Shahed drones, deploying the advanced cannon system to defend critical infrastructure from Russia’s escalating drone attacks. Ukraine’s Air Force released footage showing the system intercepting Russian drones with short, deadly bursts. The confirmed deployment of Rheinmetall’s Skynex against Russia’s Shahed drones comes amid a surge in daily drone assaults. Russia is now launching hundr
     
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✇Euromaidan Press

Rheinmetall’s Skynex guns now used to wipe out Russian Shaheds from Ukrainian skies—video shows flawless kills

Par :Yuri Zoria
13 juillet 2025 à 16:46

rheinmetall's skynex guns now used wipe out russian shaheds ukrainian skies—video shows flawless kills system engaging russia's shahed drones ukraine's air force skynex-in-action ukraine using german-supplied oerlikon defence against deploying

Ukraine is now using German-supplied Oerlikon Skynex short-range air defense (SHORAD) system against Russia’s Shahed drones, deploying the advanced cannon system to defend critical infrastructure from Russia’s escalating drone attacks. Ukraine’s Air Force released footage showing the system intercepting Russian drones with short, deadly bursts.

The confirmed deployment of Rheinmetall’s Skynex against Russia’s Shahed drones comes amid a surge in daily drone assaults. Russia is now launching hundreds of UAVs almost every day to strike civilian targets and infrastructure across Ukraine. With Ukraine’s air defenses stretched thin, the country is turning to every available tool to counter the growing threat.

Ukrainian Air Force confirms Skynex performance in drone interceptions

The Ukrainian Air Force showed Rheinmetall’s Skynex air defense system is in action, sharing a video of the system engaging Russian one-way attack drones. 

“The Rheinmetall Skynex air defense gun system, now in service with the Ukrainian Air Force, is delivering flawless results in destroying enemy strike UAVs,” according to the Air Force.

The Air Force added:

“We’ll keep the time and location classified, but as you can see in the footage, the effective performance of the 35-mm automated air defense gun is clearly inspiring our defenders of the sky!”

In the shared video, Ukrainian forces used Skynex specifically to intercept Russian Shahed drones. The video shows short bursts from 35-mm cannons downing each incoming UAV with precision, Militarnyi noted.

How German-supplied Skynex works against Shaheds 

The footage shows the use of advanced hit efficiency and destruction (AHEAD) type 35-mm airburst round ammunition. These rounds are triggered in-flight after leaving the barrel, detonating near the drone and creating a cloud of preformed fragments. This burst effect is designed to maximize kill probability against fast-moving, low-flying UAVs.

Militarnyi notes that each Shahed drone shown in the video was destroyed with a single short burst.

The Skynex uses the Oerlikon Mk3 35-mm cannon with an effective range of 4,000 meters and a rate of fire of 1,000 rounds per minute. Each cannon is equipped with its own radar and electro-optical system, enabling precise targeting even against small drones.

Skynex protects strategic targets, not front lines

The cannon systems are not self-propelled, which limits their role to static object defense. As Militarnyi explains,

“Since the gun mounts are not self-propelled, their main task is site-based air defense: protecting airfields, critical infrastructure, and so on.”

Each Skynex battery includes four 35-mm cannons, a control post, and a radar station responsible for target detection and gun direction. The system is fully automated and capable of autonomous operation once targets are confirmed.

Ukraine received the first two Skynex systems in early 2024.

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