Ukraine conflict: Kyiv teases new long-range response to Russian ‘suicide drone' attacks

An image of what appears to be part of the nosecone of an unmanned combat aerial vehicle was released by Ukroboronprom hours after the latest Russian use of Iranian loitering munitions on Kyiv, on 17 October. (Ukroboronprom)

The Ukrainian government has developed a long-range strike capability that it is close to employing in response to Russian attacks using Iranian-sourced loitering munitions, the state-owned defence holding company Ukroboronprom announced.

An image of what appeared to be part of the nosecone of an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), accompanied by some cursory information, was released by the Ukrainian defence holding company hours after the latest Russian use of Iranian loitering munitions, or ‘suicide/kamikaze drones' as they are more commonly known, on Kyiv, on 17 October.

“Today, Kyiv was once again attacked by [Iranian-supplied] Geran-2 attack drones, known as Shahed-136. Ukroboronprom has been operating in heightened mode since the full-scale invasion [in February].

“We tell you practically nothing (we have to, believe me), but this ‘nothing' works successfully on the battlefield, and some other ‘nothing' is successfully tested again and again. You will say this is not enough. We agree, that's why we prefer to work 24/7 rather than flood the media space with loud statements,” Ukroboronprom said on its official Facebook page, alluding not only to the systems it is working on in response to these attacks, but also to the need to limit the information it divulges.

In terms of the information it was able to disclose, Ukroboronprom only said that the new system has a range of 1,000 km, and a warhead of 75 kg. It added that “we are finalising the development”.