Summary of Ukraine's long-range attack drones: what kind of drones are they actually using to attack Russia?
In modern warfare, unmanned weapons such as drones are sometimes used. Military analyst HI Sutton explains the drones used in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Sutton, HI - Covert Shores
Russia is using long-range drones against Ukraine, primarily Iranian-made
Initially, Ukraine used commercially available drones such as the Chinese-made Mugin-5 . These drones were used to attack the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol, Crimea, in August 2022, as well as other attacks targeting critical infrastructure facilities. Ukraine also uses a large number of other drones.
The Ukrjet UJ-22 Airborne is a single-engine drone capable of carrying multiple air-dropped bombs. It can carry a maximum payload of 20 kg and has an estimated range of 800 km. It has a forward propeller, simple straight wings, and fixed landing gear. It is one of the largest OWA-UAVs in Ukrainian operation.
The Morok is a sleek OWA-UAV with a relatively short range of 300 km, a 3 kg warhead, and is rocket-propelled, capable of reaching speeds of up to 290 km/h.
The UJ-25 Skyline is jet-powered, has a stealthy design and distinctive forward-swept wings, and while few details are known about it, at least one has been spotted in Russia.
The UJ-26 Beaver features a streamlined fuselage and inverted tails. The type is expected to be introduced in 2023 and production has reportedly begun. It has a range of approximately 1000 km and an estimated payload of 20 kg. The aircraft is used to strike targets in Russia, including Moscow.
There is also a photo of a UJ-26 shot down over the Crimean Peninsula.
The AQ-400 Scythe has a boxy fuselage and wings with distinctive winglets on the forward wing. Its range is reported to be slightly shorter than other versions at 750 km, but it can carry a larger payload of 32 kg.
There are also other models whose names are unknown.
Below is an example. At least two drones of this type crashed in Russia on December 9, 2023, and one was found in March 2024. These drones have a very simple structure featuring a tubular fuselage. The vertical and horizontal stabilizers have the same shape, and it can be seen that the design emphasizes low-cost manufacturing and ease of assembly. The rear fuselage is made of hollow pipes, and plastic bottles are used for fuel tanks. A bomb is attached to the nose of the piston engine. Sutton analyzes that this is a new generation model of Ukraine's OWA-UAV, optimized for low-cost manufacturing.
On January 29, 2024, a Ukrainian-made drone crashed at an oil refinery in Yaroslavl, Russia, approximately 900 km from Ukraine. It has a boxy fuselage, a front-mounted propeller, a V-tail, and swept-down wings. Russian sources estimate it to be 1.5 meters long, with a wingspan of 3 meters and a warhead weight of 10 kg.
Balloon bombs have also been developed. Both Ukraine and Russia use them, but weather conditions generally favor the Ukrainians. They allow attacks from very high altitudes, but are heavily affected by wind, limiting their effectiveness.
Some other drone images are available on the following page.
Sutton, HI - Covert Shores
in Posted by log1p_kr