Ukrainian drones challenge Russian control in the Black Sea
Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, wrote on his Facebook profile on the occasion of Military Intelligence Day that Ukrainian intelligence's successful actions "have proven to the world that the Black Sea does not belong to Russia." The military official points to a specific tool in this context—drones with a record range of 1,800 kilometres.
“Military airfields, which are a continuous threat to the peaceful cities of Ukraine, are shaking from air attacks,” Budanov claims in his post. He adds that the entire Russian infrastructure has suffered significant losses, and this will not change – it will continue to suffer.
The head of Ukrainian intelligence explains that Ukraine "forced the enemy to move its fleet to a safe distance and to leave maritime borders," primarily using long-range drones. Budanov emphasizes that Ukraine now has modern unmanned systems that were not in the defenders' arsenal before the war broke out.
This weapon is now capable of attacking targets even 1,800 kilometres away from the launch site. This means that today, not only Moscow is within Ukraine's reach but also distant places like Ufa, Kazan, and the vicinity of the White Sea.
In the arsenals of the Ukrainian armed forces today, you can find weapons capable of attacking very distant targets on the territory of the Russian Federation. Among them, the "Bóbr" drones stand out. Although their full specifications remain a secret, publicly available information suggests their range is about 1,000 kilometres. Bóbrs have a wingspan reaching 3.5 metres, and their takeoff weight is only a few dozen pounds. The maximum speed of these drones does not exceed 200 kilometres per hour.
The Sokół-300 drone also deserves special attention, which has been developed since 2022 and was recently presented. This unmanned aircraft can reach targets even 3,300 kilometres away from the launch site. The Sokół-300 can carry an explosive payload of 300 kilograms, and its wingspan is about 14 metres.
Other long-range drones currently in Ukraine's possession include the UJ-22 Airborne and Rubaka. The UJ-22 Airborne can reach a distance of about 800 kilometres, and the Rubaka has a range of about 500 kilometres.
