Russian President Vladimir Putin has been seen traveling in Vladivostok accompanied by a mobile air defense vehicle equipped with the Katran anti-drone targeting system. Attention was drawn to the video footage by the Voenny Osvedomitel Telegram channel, which highlighted the specialized defensive truck moving within the presidential convoy.
The published video shows a pickup truck moving directly inside the column of motorcade vehicles. According to the Telegram channel, the vehicle belongs to a mobile air defense group assigned to safeguard the presidential cortege during the visit.
Katran anti-drone capabilities
The pickup truck featured a distinctive platform in its rear bed housing the Krechet+ thermal imaging sight complex. The targeting system is integrated into the Katran anti-drone complex and can be fitted with a pair of PKT machine guns to engage incoming unmanned aerial vehicles.
In addition to the thermal sight, the Katran system includes a dedicated radar station and an optical reconnaissance unit for target identification. The complex is specifically designed to detect, track, and destroy unmanned aerial vehicles operating at close range.
The PKT machine gun is a standard Soviet and Russian tank-mounted firearm firing 7.62mm ammunition, widely utilized across armored and utility platforms to engage ground and low-flying targets. Thermal imaging optics such as the Krechet+ allow defensive crews to identify thermal signatures and track targets during nighttime operations or in poor weather conditions.
Russian counter-drone developments
Vladivostok is the largest port city in Russia's Far East and serves as the administrative center of Primorsky Krai on the Pacific Ocean. As a vital commercial and naval hub, the city frequently hosts high-level government delegations and international summits, requiring extensive security operations for visiting officials.
The appearance of the Katran system in the motorcade follows other recent deployments of anti-drone technology by Russian forces. In August, members of the Russian Armed Forces deployed the Courier ground robotic complex to fight drones, utilizing a tracked chassis equipped with an automated weapon turret.
Counter-drone systems mounted on commercial pickup trucks have gained widespread adoption due to their mobility, enabling defensive crews to reposition quickly alongside moving convoys. Integrating automated turrets, radar units, and thermal sights onto lightweight vehicles provides mobile escort protection against small, low-altitude unmanned aircraft.
