DIU’s drones are able to operate at a distance of up to 1800 km

7 September, 2024 Ukrainian Lyuty attack drone.

2024. Photo credits: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Strike drones of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine have gained the ability to hit targets at a distance of up to 1800 km.

Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov said that the best specialists, including representatives of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, were working on the development of these drones. These strike drones are used to target military air bases and Russian facilities that "work for the war." "Military air bases, which are a source of constant threat to peaceful Ukrainian cities, are shaking from air attacks," Budanov said.

Until February 24, 2022, there was no production of long-range strike drones in Ukraine at all.

Kyrylo Budanov. Photo credits: Defense Intelligence of Ukraine

However, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the drone market in Ukraine has grown significantly. One of the reasons that launched the production of long-range drones was the demand of some Western partners who do not allow their weapons to strike deep into the territory of the Russian Federation.

One of the well-known representatives of this type of vehicle that has already been used in combat is the UJ-26 Bober drone. In the summer and fall of 2023, these drones flew to Moscow several times and hit various facilities.

Ukrainian Bober loitering munition. July 2023.

Ukraine. Photo credits: Serhiy Prytula

In 2024, Ukraine began to massively deploy Liutyi attack drones. According to British intelligence, it is its accurate strikes that have already disabled a significant percentage of Russia's oil refining capacity.

Drones of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DUI) also struck at Russian oil refineries.

Ukrainian Liutyi UAV in the sky over the Russian Federation, March 2024

In August of this year, it became known that Ukraine's defense industry developed the Palianytsia missile-drone, which is already in use.

Palianytsia long-range missile-drone.

Photo credits: United24

Palianytsia is a drone and a missile at the same time, which falls under both definitions in terms of its tactical and technical characteristics.

The defense industry will start ramping up production of new weapons to strike Russian military facilities.