Kathrine Frich
Drones have become one of the defining weapons of the war in Ukraine.
As Moscow and Kyiv continue to invest heavily in unmanned systems, even relatively rare models are now appearing more frequently over contested areas.
Rare drone destroyed
Ukraine’s national police said on Feb. 18 that a rare Russian drone known as “Prince Veshiy Oleg” was shot down.
According to a statement, operators from the Dnipro-1 regiment of the Liut United Assault Brigade were responsible for destroying the aircraft.
Liut fighters are adding rare enemy ‘birds’ to the blacklist. In the brigade’s area of responsibility, the enemy has started using a new unmanned system, Prince Veshiy Oleg (Prince Oleg the Prophet),” the statement said.
It added: “The drone operators of the Dnipro-1 regiment of the Liut United Assault Brigade have once again proven that the Ukrainian skies do not belong to the occupiers. The target was quickly detected, identified and destroyed.”
Deep reconnaissance role
According to RBC-Ukraine, the aircraft-type drone was recently developed by Russia and is designed for deep reconnaissance missions.
It reportedly has a maximum speed of 130 kilometers per hour, can fly at an altitude of up to 100 meters and has an operational range of about 45 kilometers.
The drone is said to be capable of conducting surveillance, adjusting artillery fire and monitoring the results of strike operations.
High survivability
Ukrainian media reported that one of the drone’s main advantages is its survivability, with troops at times reportedly mistaking it for Ukrainian models.
In January, fighters from the 225th Separate Assault Regiment’s unmanned systems battalion also claimed to have destroyed one of the same drones.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, both Ukraine and Russia have rapidly expanded their drone programs, combining adapted civilian technology with military-grade systems.
Unmanned aircraft are now central to reconnaissance, artillery coordination and precision strikes on logistics targets.
Source: L’Independent.
