Ukraine has long-range drones with a range of 1,800 km, says minister

In an interview with Reuters, Ukrainian Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov revealed that Ukraine has long-range attack drones that can fly up to 1,800 km. These drones are part of Ukraine’s broader strategy to narrow the technological gap with Russia. Since 2023, Ukrainian drone production has increased dramatically, with President Volodymyr Zelensky targeting production of 30,000 long-range attack drones by 2025.

Innovations in drone warfare have become a defining feature of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. Unmanned vehicles of various sizes play a central role, operating in the air, on land and at sea, with technology advancing rapidly on both sides.

Fedorov, who is also deputy prime minister for innovation, stressed that while Russia launches thousands of drones every month, Ukraine has sometimes launched more drones in a single night than Russia. Stressing that it is not just a numbers game, he stressed the importance of improving launch methods and connectivity for deep-strike drones as Russia becomes better able to track and target Ukrainian launch sites.

Previously, Russian sources claimed that Ukraine had already deployed drones that could reach a range of over 2,000 km.

Previously, media reports claimed that Ukraine was developing interceptor drones to counter Russia’s long-range Shahed explosive drones, which were used in night attacks on Ukrainian cities. The minister confirmed to Reuters that Ukrainian companies are developing specialized aircraft with software and radar systems designed to target and neutralize Shahed drones, although that project is still in the research and development phase.

Fedorov also mentioned that Ukraine has entered into a contract to purchase 1.6 million drones in 2024 and 1.3 million have already been delivered. These are usually low-cost, short-range FPV (First Person View) drones that are equipped with cameras so remote-controlled pilots can fly them to targets. AI-powered systems are also being used to autonomously control drones, allowing Ukraine to conduct operations in areas where strong interference prevents manual control.

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Looking ahead, Fedorov predicted that next year will see a significant increase in autonomous drones, some capable of targeting specific targets. He also mentioned that next year will see the first use of “real” drone swarms in limited operations.

In addition, Fedorov noted the increasing importance of land drones – unmanned robotic ground vehicles used to transport supplies and evacuate wounded soldiers from the front. Ukraine has already purchased several thousand of these vehicles, and next year the government plans to increase the number to tens of thousands, with training centers set up to learn how to use these vehicles.

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