A video of an ex‑Afghan soldier flying a Yak‑52 trainer destroying a Russian Zala 421‑16 drone at Odessa’s airfield went viral, marking the death of the pilot.
Video of Yak‑52 Destroying a Zala 421‑16 Drone
First posted on Telegram and later on X, the clip shows a Yak‑52 flying toward a Russian Zala 421‑16 reconnaissance drone. The pilot strikes the right‑wing leading edge of the drone, likely causing its destruction.
Oborin and Kucenko: Victims of Odessa Airfield Attack
Colonel Konstantín “Kamikadze” Oborin, 63, and senior sergeant Roman Kucenko were killed during a Russian missile strike on the training airfield near Odessa on the night of 18‑19 July 2023. Some accounts claim they were struck on the ground, while alternate versions suggest a mid‑air collision.
From Afghanistan to Volunteering in Ukraine
Born into a Soviet military family in Potsdam, Oborin served in the Red Army’s Afghan campaign, earning the Order of the Red Star and two Battle Orders. After demobilization he joined Ukrainian security services, aided the Chernobyl clean‑up crew, helped evacuate 29 soldiers from separatist zones, and later volunteered when war broke out in 2022.
Tactics: Wielding a Yak‑52 Against Drones
The Yak‑52’s maximum speed of just over 200 km/h matches the flight envelope of most Russian drones, which cruise between 120 and 170 km/h. The aircraft has no built‑in armament; shooters, mounted in the rear seat, fire pistol or repeating rifles at the drone while the pilot slows down the plane to line up the target.
Reported Drone Engagements and Claims
A U.S. intelligence briefing in August cited about 120 drone kills by the 11th Air Brigade’s Yak‑52s, with half attributed to crews called “Maestro” and “Ninja”. No independent confirmation exists, and with the exception of Oborin and Kucenko, other casualties remain unverified.
