Russian defense industry officials said Wednesday that fragments of what they described as a new American-made drone were found after a Ukrainian attack in the Donetsk region.
The claim was made by Dmitry Sadovnik, deputy general director of the Shadow drone detector manufacturer, in comments to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
According to officials from the administration of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR), the attack took place on Monday, March 3. They said the strike damaged a residential building, a power line and an industrial facility.
Sadovnik said fragments recovered at the scene indicated that Ukrainian forces had used a previously unseen fixed-wing strike drone, believed to be known as the Hornet.
“During the attack on civilian facilities in Donetsk on Monday, the Ukrainian Armed Forces used a new aircraft-type strike drone for the first time, presumably known as Hornet,” Sadovnik told RIA Novosti.
“This is indicated by characteristic fragments left at the attack site.”
He said the drone is capable of striking targets at distances of up to about 145 kilometers (90 miles) and carrying a payload of roughly 5 kilograms (11 pounds).
Its design features a vertical stabilizer, rudder and a pusher propeller mounted at the tail – elements that distinguish it from many other drones.
According to Sadovnik, the drone also uses satellite navigation and can fly a pre-programmed autonomous route.
Other Topics of Interest
