Ukraine Confirmed to Have Struck Deep Inside Russia Using British Long-Range Drones

It has been confirmed for the first time that the Ukrainian military deployed long-range attack drones manufactured by a British company to strike military and industrial facilities deep within Russian territory.

The Sunday Times, the weekend edition of the British daily The Times, reported on the 15th (local time) that it has been verified that Ukraine has carried out "deep strike" operations targeting mainland Russia using British-made drones over the past six months.

The targets struck by the Ukrainian military using British-made drones included oil refineries in Volgograd in southwestern Russia and Yaroslavl near Moscow.

The newspaper reported that these operations resulted in the destruction of oil refineries, naval bases, logistics hubs, and transportation networks, causing economic damage estimated at over 67.2 trillion won in South Korean currency, with some regions even experiencing fuel shortages and rolling blackouts.

The strikes involved "Nyan", a jet-propelled drone developed by Callen-Lenz, a subsidiary of British defense firm BAE Systems.

Constructed from carbon fiber, the "Nyan" drone has a wingspan of 2.9 meters and a flight range exceeding 240 kilometers.

In addition, drones produced by another British defense company, whose name has not been disclosed for security reasons, reportedly achieved significant effectiveness in long-range attacks.

The flight range of this drone exceeds 965 kilometers.

As the war between Russia and Ukraine, now in its fourth year, has descended into a war of attrition, long-range drones—costing around 96 million to 192 million won each, making them much cheaper than cruise missiles—have established themselves as Ukraine's core asymmetric capability, according to assessments.

The newspaper pointed out that as the use of British weapons to attack mainland Russia expands, concerns over potential retaliation from Russia are also growing.

A senior British defense source noted that Russia is already engaging in espionage and cyberattacks against critical infrastructure targeting the United Kingdom, warning that "such attacks could increase as a result of supporting Ukraine's drone warfare."

Despite this situation, British military support for Ukraine continues.

The British government announced in April of this year that it would supply more than 120,000 drones to Ukraine.

A spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defence told The Sunday Times that day, "The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and our support remains unwavering," adding, "We are committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against Russian President Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion."
 

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.