Searches for anti-drone devices in Russia hit a three-year high — but experts say they don’t work in cities and may be dangerous

Russian searches on Yandex for anti-drone devices hit a three-year high in late June, iStories, an independent Russian investigative outlet, reported.

The last comparable spike came in late May and early June of 2023, when drones struck Moscow and the Moscow region. Since then, attacks have intensified, with other Russian regions also coming under large-scale strikes.

Journalists from the outlet called several companies that appeared at the top of Yandex search results for the relevant query, identifying themselves as a Moscow region resident considering the purchase of a anti-drone gun for home protection.

Detector Systems told the journalists that civilians had been buying anti-drone guns from the company for several years. A representative said there should be no problems using one outside the front lines, “as long as you don’t jam people’s communications with it.”

Russkiy Kaliber said no permits or certificates are required for such devices and that the guns require no special skills or licensing exams. Only Uralsistems told the journalists that anti-drone guns are useless against the drones reaching Russian regions, and suggested considering a protective net for the home instead.

Military analyst Kirill Mikhailov told iStories that anti-drone guns are of little use against modern FPV drones, and that civilians are better off running for cover when a drone approaches.

Military expert David Gendelman stressed that the devices require specialized technical training. “Indiscriminately jamming everything around you with electronic warfare will either have no effect at all, or will actually jam something you need, while doing nothing to a real drone. And the more powerful the device, the more harm it can cause,” he said.