Not Just Destroying Occupiers: What Heavy Shot Drones Can Do – Soldiers Share Frontline Stories

Ukrainian-made Heavy Shot drones strike enemy positions, carry explosives or supplies, and are tested for all conditions. Gurzuf Defense develops heavier models for advanced missions.

Just four years ago, before the start of the full-scale and highly technological war, Ukrainians could never have imagined that they would become some of the most powerful producers of modern weapons — ones that our allies would look up to and our enemies would fear.

This is exactly true for the Heavy Shot drones, which relentlessly strike enemy locations and ammunition depots while helping our defenders save lives.

What Heavy Shot drones are capable of, their advantages, and how they are tested — manufacturers and military personnel using these drones shared exclusively with 24 Kanal. More details can be found in the full article.

What are Heavy Shot drones capable of, and how many can realistically be produced in a month?

Gurzuf Defense can produce roughly over a thousand Heavy Shot drones at a single facility. Production manager Andriy explained that they started by making about a hundred drones per month. Now, they can produce a hundred per day.

A Heavy Shot can carry 20 kilograms of explosives up to 20 kilometers — or even farther, though with a shorter flight range. Depending on the mission, each unit can independently choose how to deploy the drones.

Andriy noted that Ukrainian-made drones immediately undergo practical testing, meaning our experience can also be adopted by Ukrainian partners.

“It’s precisely the harsh conditions our country faces that forced us to scale up so quickly. We optimized our production system because every day we receive requests from the front. That motivates us to keep moving forward every day,” Andriy emphasized.

Military personnel and Heavy Shot pilot Ivan highlighted that the drone’s biggest advantage is that it’s easier to operate than, for example, the Vampire. Being a quadcopter, it doesn’t tilt as much on the axis and is more intuitive — like a Mavic.

What tasks do they perform on the front lines?

The military needs thousands of drones each month, as they enhance the survivability of any units operating behind these “birds” and significantly increase risks for the enemy. The production manager at Gurzuf Defense explained that some units have been continuously using these drones for years, which allows them to improve their effectiveness against the enemy.

Soldier and Heavy Shot pilot Eduard noted that drones are valuable on the battlefield due to the significant damage they can inflict. Additionally, the number of tasks a drone can perform is almost limitless. They can even reach behind enemy lines, although the payload will be smaller in that case.

Depending on the mission, different explosives can be mounted on the drone, including FAB bombs. This allows a drone to destroy not only a group of Russian soldiers but also their fortifications and shelters.

Using Heavy Shot as a base, the military experiments with and upgrades the drones to meet their specific needs. Engineers maintain continuous communication with troops on the front lines.

The bomber drone, popularly called “Baba Yaga,” not only carries out bombing missions but also assists with logistics. It can easily deliver food, water, and ammunition to soldiers, helping to save lives and maintain the health of our troops — especially in hard-to-reach positions.

There have even been unconventional uses of the Heavy Shot. The “Rubizh” brigades tied an electric bike to a drone, transported it, and in doing so saved the life of a soldier whose position was surrounded by Russians. The rest of his comrades were killed, and he himself was wounded. More about this operation can be seen in the video.

Military personnel and Heavy Shot pilot Ivan explained that in his brigade, these drones are now primarily used for logistical tasks rather than striking the enemy. A single flight can carry a pack of water or 3–4 rations. Pilots try to fly very low, almost at treetop level, so that neither FPV nor electronic warfare systems can physically detect them.

The drones are equipped with multiple communication systems, which makes maneuvering easier. If one control system is jammed, operators can switch to another, greatly increasing the chances of saving the drone and successfully completing the mission.

Gurzuf Defense co-founder Oleg Hynda noted that, overall, Heavy Shot drones can carry out hundreds of flights. There have even been cases where drones completed thousands of missions.

How is the Heavy Shot tested?

Every Heavy Shot drone undergoes testing to ensure it can operate in any conditions. They can fly in all kinds of weather, including rain, even though they don’t have the standard IP68 protection.

Gurzuf Defense co-founder Oleg Hynda explained that during testing they check communication, ground stations, and payload release. Although the company specifies a drone payload of 20 kilograms, during tests it can carry up to 40 kilograms.

Checking the payload release is essential, as it is the most critical aspect of the drone’s functionality for the military. Moreover, it is very dangerous if a drone returns with explosives — it could detonate in the wrong place.

“We have created an entire system that allows everything to be monitored, and any soldier receiving a drone can verify that it is fully operational,” said Oleg Hynda.

Gurzuf Defense co-founder Pavlo Feldblyum emphasized that the company does not measure effectiveness by the number of enemies destroyed but focuses on preserving the lives of Ukrainian defenders. This is the company’s mission.

Pavlo Feldblyum explained that the company’s name, Gurzuf Defense, is intentional. According to him, there is much debate about what should be considered a victory. For them, victory means returning to their own land.

“Crimea is a sacred place. The dragon sealed its own fate when it decided to seize Crimea. The war began in Crimea, and in our view, it should end there. We plan to establish the new headquarters of our company in Gurzuf (a settlement in Crimea, – 24 Kanal) after we reclaim Crimea,” said the co-founder of Gurzuf Defense.

What new development is Gurzuf Defense preparing?

The small drone market in Ukraine is currently very saturated, while the military lacks heavy bombers. Gurzuf Defense is working on drones capable of carrying 70 to 130 kilograms. These larger drones will be able to carry out missions on an entirely different level. However, they are not yet in full-scale production.

“We have a model that we will soon put into operation. It is not a mass-produced model. It will fly with over 100 kilograms of payload for a distance of 30 kilometers. We have already conducted tests — it works. We just need to finalize production and the process,” said Oleg Hynda.

There are also other drone variations. For example, some drones can carry 130 kilograms and fly 10 kilometers, while others carry 70 kilograms and fly 25 kilometers.