Legendary Ukrainian pilot Kostyantyn Oborin, 63, falls in battle

espreso.tv ^ | July 18, 2025 | Kate Kikot

[GBA]

I guess it would depend on what the pilot is flying, the speeds involved and the weapon being used against the drone.

A jet against a Shahed or Geran, especially at night, and in weather, would be a challenge using the cannon. Those are moving about the stall speed of the jet and about 100 knots slower than their approach speed for landing.

Getting close enough in a similar speed airplane like a Yak or Sukhoi or whatever they might be using to fire on the drone with a gun could be dangerous if you were too close when it explodes.

Flying through the debris is very hazardous to plane, pilot and crew!

A-10s, attack helicopters and close air support/attack turboprops might be good against drones. Purpose built drones seem to be working well also for slower drones.

[gleeaikin]

I was referring to the plane used in this thread, one with a propeller, and guy with shotgun sitting in an open seating area to be able to shot his gun at the drone.

[GBA]

I really don’t know what he was doing or how he was doing it or if that plane was the one he was in.

He might have died from a heart attack. Pretty gutsy, for a guy any age. Or, maybe he was hit by shrapnel from the exploding drone. Whatever happened, it was enough to kill him.

You might not think so, but fighting drones is a dangerous thing to do, whether in WWII or over Ukraine. The Ukrainians have lost several planes and pilots fighting drones, including 1 or 2 of their F-16s.