Drone forced to land in Kaliningrad region made by airmodeling enthusiasts but can perform special tasks - FSB
KALININGRAD. May 14 (Interfax) - A Lithuanian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), whose flight was recently prevented by Russian border guards in the Kaliningrad region, is capable of performing various special tasks, Oleg Dzhurayev, a spokesman for the regional border department of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), told Interfax.
"The UAV that was landed had been manufactured by aeromodeling professionals from Lithuania and boasts excellent technical characteristics. It is capable of performing a number of special tasks, including reconnaissance and smuggling," Dzhurayev said.
The drone can carry over 10 kilos of payload, lift it to an altitude of up to 2 kilometers, and drop at a pre-planned area, Dzhurayev said. The flight route was programmed in advance, and the operator had only to make the drone take off, drop the payload, and land, he said.
In preventing the drone from flying into Russia, border guards detected a criminal group of Russian and Lithuanian citizens, who were using the drone for smuggling payload across the border. The drone operator was detained while controlling the aircraft.
An inquiry has been opened to find out whether the drone could have been used for other unlawful activities on Russian territory, he said.
It was reported earlier that Russian border guards prevented a drone from illegally crossing the Russian border from Lithuania in the Neman district of the Kaliningrad region on May 3.