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Ukraine’s GUR has released a video of a fixed-wing drone being catapulted into action near Crimea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
It said its special forces used UJ-26 Bober drones to strike at faraway Russian defenses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
The $110,000 fixed-wing drones appear to be equipped with thermal cameras and FPV controls.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Ukraine’s intelligence directorate (GUR) has released footage of Kyiv’s UJ-26 “Bober” drone being launched via catapult<\/a> to attack Russian air defenses.<\/p>\n The video, published on Tuesday, shows the locally manufactured 8-foot-long loitering munition being slung into the air from a fixed ramp. GUR said its special forces launched the drones to attack targets in Russian-occupied Crimea.<\/a><\/p>\n The new launch method allows the fixed-wing<\/a> Bober to enter combat without landing gear, which would likely improve its range or maneuverability. Traditionally, the Bobers take off from airstrips like traditional aircraft.<\/p>\n Given that the ramp would likely have to be set up in Ukrainian-held territory west of the Dnieper River, the drone would have to travel a minimum of roughly 60 miles to reach Russian targets in Crimea.<\/p>\n The drones also seem to be equipped with thermal cameras in several first-person view clips uploaded by the defense intelligence agency.<\/p>\n One montage appears to show a drone evading a missile and then flying into a $15 million Pantsir S-1 point air defense system<\/a>. A second drone is also shown flying into the ground next to a Pantsir S-1 as the vehicle crew scrambles for cover.<\/p>\n GUR described the attack as the “successful defeat” of the Pantsir, but did not show footage of the results.<\/p>\n The intelligence agency also said it conducted similar successful attacks on three Russian radar systems<\/a> \u2014 The Niobium-SV, the Pechora-3, and the Provotnik GE \u2014 as well as a fourth-generation Su-30 fighter.<\/p>\n It uploaded several first-person view clips of drones approaching these systems with thermal cameras, though many of them can only be seen flying close to their target.<\/p>\n Business Insider could not independently verify the damage caused.<\/p>\n Ukrainian media regularly describe the Niobium-SV as a $100 million system. Earlier Russian estimates from before the full-scale invasion indicated that the Kremlin was acquiring the Niobium-SV in 2016 for about $40 million per unit. However, these may have since been fitted with more expensive upgrades.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, one Bober, which translates to “beaver” in Ukrainian, reportedly costs around $110,000 to manufacture. The propeller drone is meant for long-range attacks and is known to carry the KZ-6 charge, a 6.6-pound demolition explosive designed to break through concrete or armor.<\/p>\n It’s yet another example of how the war has increasingly featured cheaper systems<\/a> being used to attack and, at times, destroy expensive high-end equipment, posing difficult questions for the traditional defense procurement model<\/a> that heavily prioritized advanced technology.<\/p>\n For example, one of Ukraine’s biggest community drone funds<\/a>, run by activist Serhii Sternenko, reported to donors that its crowdfunded drones have damaged at least 11 Buk surface-to-air missile systems in 2025. The fund often publishes footage of such strikes.<\/p>\n Depending on whether they have the latest upgrades, these defenses can cost Russia between $10 and $100 million each. By comparison, Sternenko’s fund said it receives roughly $6 million in donations a month for its entire budget.<\/p>\n Read the original article on Business Insider<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n