Russia Arms Infantry With Shotguns to Counter Small Drone Threats
Russia has begun issuing shotguns to some infantry units as an emergency counter-drone measure in response to the growing threat posed by small unmanned aerial vehicles on the battlefield. Reports from defense observers and open-source social media content show that smoothbore shotguns are increasingly seen in Russian formations where electronic and traditional air defenses struggle to intercept low-flying, agile drones.
Small commercial and tactical drones have become a persistent threat in recent conflicts, especially in the Russia-Ukraine war. These platforms can carry reconnaissance or explosive payloads and often evade sophisticated electronic counter-measures by using frequency-hopping or pre-programmed flight paths that reduce the effectiveness of jamming systems.
Infantry and vehicle crews now sometimes rely on 12-gauge and similar shotguns as a last-mile defense tool against these low-altitude threats. Shotguns fire dense clouds of pellets that improve the odds of hitting fast, erratic targets at very close range, especially when integrated with simple optical sights and laser aiming modules.
Military bloggers and observers have noted sightings of a range of shotgun models among Russian forces, including semiautomatic and even older break-action designs. These weapons are often deployed where drones approach within tens of meters of troops or vehicles — distances at which heavier air defenses may not react quickly enough.
This shift reflects the broader challenge of countering small, low-signature unmanned aircraft on the ground. Electronic warfare systems such as the man-portable Stupor anti-drone rifle remain part of the toolkit, but drones that use robust control links, optical guidance, or fiber-optic tethers can evade RF jamming and other measures.
Operational use of shotguns as anti-drone weapons is not unique to Russia. Other militaries, including NATO members, have experimented with similar approaches for close-in defense against drones that slip through layered defenses.
Analysts view this adaptation as a stopgap rather than a long-term solution. Shotguns offer a low-cost, easy-fielded tool for last-ditch defense when more advanced systems are saturated or unavailable, but they are limited in range and effectiveness compared with dedicated counter-UAV systems. Still, in the crowded low-altitude battlespace of modern conflicts, infantry units are improvising with what they have to meet the evolving threat.
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