Illustrative Image
The Russian military is largely using the long-range UAVs in combined attacks on Ukrainian military and industrial facilities in the rear regions in order to overload Ukrainian air defense forces and increase chances of successful strikes with the following missiles, which are also more expansive than the UAVs. In their turn, Ukrainian forces have no their own missiles for the precision strikes deep in Russian rear areas. That’s why they are forced to use one-way attack drones (OWA-UAVs), or informally as ‘Kamikaze drones’, during their attempts to reach the Russian rear.
Covert Shores published an interesting overview of Ukrainian long-range UAVs based on data available in open sources.
According to the overview, currently the Ukrainian military is actively using about a dozen different types of long-range drones to target Russian airfields, fuel depots, industrial enterprises and other facilities located at some distance from the border with Ukraine. The list includes two naval kamikaze drones.
Among the UAVs used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, there are famous Migun-5 UAVs assembled in Ukraine from Chinese components. They were among the first drones deployed with the Ukrainian military since 2022.
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Mugin-5
Initially Ukraine leveraged commercially available drones such as the Chinese built Mugin-5 (aka Skyeye 5000). These were employed in August 2022 to attack the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol, Crimea. Other examples struck critical infrastructure. These have been superseded by Ukrainian produced designs.
Mugin-5 crashed in Crimea, February 2023
UJ-22 Airborne
The Ukrjet UJ-22 Airborne is a single engine drone which can either carry an internal warhead or several air-dropped bombs. Payload is up to 20 kg. It has a traditional light aircraft layout with tractor propeller (i.e. at the front) and simple straight wings and fixed undercarriage. At about 3.7 meters (12 ft) long and a wingspan of 4.2 meters (14 ft) it is one of the largest OWA-UAVs known to be in service. Range is reported as 800 km (500 miles).
UJ-22 Airborne
The UJ-22 is confirmed to have been employed in attacks on Moscow including in February 2023.
Morok
A sleek-looking OWA-UAV based on the RZ-60 target drone. It has a comparatively shorter range of 300 km and a small warhead of just 3 kg. It is launched with the aid of a rocket and can achieve a respectable 290 kmph.
UJ-25 Skyline
The UJ-25 Skyline is essentially a weaponized development of the Ukrajet UJ-23 Topaz target drone. It is a jet powered type with generally stealthy lines and distinctive forward swept wings. Few details are available. At least one has been reported in Russia.
UJ-25 Skyline
UJ-26 Beaver
One of the better known types, the Beaver (Bober) has a distinctive canard layout with sleek fuselage and inverted tail. The type was introduced in 2023 and has reportedly entered mass production. Range is in the order of 1,000 km (620 miles) and payload is reported as 20 kg (44 lb). This type has been used to attack Moscow and other targets in Russia.
UJ-26 Beaver
Crashed UJ-26 Beaver in Crimea showing the warhead and fuel tank arrangement.
Lyutyy
Lyutyy is relatively large with a traditional UAV construction. It has a passing resemblance to the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 but not in detail. The design was revealed by Anna Gvozdyar, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries in November 2022.
It is reportedly a Ukroboronprom product. There are several companies under this umbrella including the famous aircraft manufacturer Antonov. It is apparent from photographic evidence that Lyutyy is related to the pre-war Antonov AN-BK-1 Horlytsia (Turtle Dove) design. It has similar tail and other details which are unlikely to be coincidental. Antonov was previously reported to be developing a heavy strike UAV, and has widely been reported to have switched to drone production after the 2022 invasion.
Lyutyy crashed in Nizhny Novgorod, Jan 31 2024, and reference model.
AQ-400 Scythe
The Terminal Autonomy AQ-400 Scythe is a volunteer project which has entered serial production. It has a crude box-like fuselage and tandem wings with distinct end plates on the forward set. Range is slightly shorter than some other types, reported at 750 km (465 miles) but payload heavier at 32 kg (70 lb). Payload can reportedly be increased to some 70 kg (154 lb) with a reduced range.
AQ-400 Scythe. Note that the undercarriage can be replaced by a dolly or launch rail arrangement.
Unnamed types
Several drones have been reported in Russia, or shown to the public, but not named. Recently a small jet based design was revealed, with canards and a distinctive triangular tail. Specifications and production status is unclear.
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On December 9 2023 at least two of a new type of drone were found crashed in Russia. These have a very simple layout with simple tubular fuselage. The tail surfaces, both vertical and horizontal, are the same, showing that it is designed for cheap manufacturing and ease of assembly. A warhead was strapped under the nose just behind the piston engine. This is likely one of a new breed of Ukrainian OWA-UAV optimized for low cost manufacturer.
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On Jan 29, 2024 a Ukrainian drone fell at an oil refinery in Yaroslavl, Russia, about 900 km from Ukraine. There are few details but we can deduce its overall layout. It has an inverted-V tail (possibly all-moving) and dihedral wings (rising up at the tips), rather like the smaller Shark UAV, or larger Predator. It has a box-like fuselage and probably has a tractor (front-mounted) propeller. As it crashed, the engine was ripped out and the airframe inverted.
Note that it appears upside down
Also of note
Ukrainian drone manufacturer Miltech Group lists the ‘Gorgon’ OWA-UAV. Range and payload, and operational status is unclear.
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According to The Wall Street Journal, a total of 62 different types of drones are currently being produced in Ukraine, including, in particular, those capable of carrying up to nine kilograms of explosives.
Amid the ongoing Russian precision strikes on Ukrainian industrial facilities, including those used for production of UAVs, the Ukrainian military is forced to decentralise the drone production as much as possible. As a result, there is a large variety of types of drones produced by different groups.
However, Ukrainian drones strikes in the Russian rear regions are yet to have any strategic impact on the ongoing battles on the Ukrainian frontlines.
a2 ad vor fi peste tot.
for everyone that lands on russian soil, introduce to england.
i laike bois and dieks. i bi passiv
podľa tohto sa dá usudzovať, že ukrajina má aj schopných ľudí. preto zrejme ruské vojská majú určité problémy zo zachytením niektorých dronov. smutné je iba to, že to slovania používajú proti slovanom. a ďalšou obrovskou chybou je, že tieto poznatky a vývoj sa dostanú do rúk darebáckeho štátu usa a fašistickej eu. svetu mier!!!
meanwhile in russia … zero types of indigenous long range drones in production
or so you think. no point telling everyone is there