Ukraine began using British drones for long-range strikes on Russian territory

As reported by the British newspaper The Sunday Times, Ukrainian military personnel have for the first time begun to massively use attack drones from Great Britain for long-range strikes on targets inside Russia. Over the past six months, these apparatuses have become a key tool in the campaign to methodically destroy the aggressor's industrial and military potential.

Previously, London had already supplied Kyiv with Storm Shadow cruise missiles. However, despite all their destructive power, they had significant limitations. The flight range of such missiles was about 240 kilometers, and the cost of one unit exceeded 750 thousand pounds sterling. Moreover, the stocks of similar weapons in Western arsenals are quite modest and cannot be replenished instantly. In a situation of positional deadlock at the front, Ukraine needed something cheaper, scalable, and long-range.

The solution was found in the use of attack drones. Their production costs between 50 and 100 thousand pounds sterling per unit, making them an ideal means to deplete the Russian air defense system. By launching the apparatuses in large waves, Ukrainian forces overload enemy radars and reach targets located more than 1,500 kilometers from the border.

Павялічыць

One of the main tools of this air campaign has been the Nyan jet drone. The apparatus is made of carbon fiber and was developed by Callen-Lenz – a subsidiary of the British defense giant BAE Systems. It has a wingspan of almost three meters and is capable of carrying twenty kilograms of explosives over a distance of more than 240 kilometers. Another model from British manufacturers, whose name the publication does not disclose for security reasons, is launched from a catapult and is capable of covering about a thousand kilometers.

The economic effect of this tactic turned out to be colossal. According to experts, long-range strikes on logistics hubs, naval bases, and oil refineries have inflicted damage exceeding 35 billion pounds sterling on the Russian economy. Damaged facilities included enterprises in Volgograd, Yaroslavl, and even the petrochemical complex in Nizhnekamsk. The destruction of infrastructure led to fuel shortages and rolling power outages in a number of Russian regions.

For a long time, the US and Great Britain restrained Kyiv from striking deep into Russian territory with Western weapons, fearing uncontrolled escalation by the Kremlin and direct attacks on NATO countries. The situation fundamentally changed in November 2024, when Washington and London lifted these restrictions. Despite the absence of official explanations for this step, it is obvious that the green light was given after the appearance of a many-thousand-strong contingent of North Korean military personnel at the front.

Despite Moscow's threats to launch a hybrid war against British defense factories and commercial vessels, equipment supplies are only increasing. The UK Ministry of Defense has committed to transferring more than 150,000 drones of various types to Ukraine this year.

The transition to the massive use of long-range attack drones means the final blurring of the boundaries of the rear in this war. The conflict has entered a stage of methodical economic attrition, where the ability to strike the enemy's strategic infrastructure affects the state's military potential more effectively than infantry movements on the front line.

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