WSJ: WSU Balloons Are Attacking Russia

• 17.02.2026, 12:33

They are virtually invisible on radar and hover high above REB lines.

The military technology of the French Revolution - balloons - is increasingly returning to the modern battlefield. As written by The Wall Street Journal, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are successfully using them to strike deep into Russia, as well as for reconnaissance, transportation and as decoys.

Balloons can conduct reconnaissance and transport payloads. They are virtually invisible on radar and hover high above electronic warfare lines that disable other aircraft. They can also carry weapons, including kamikaze strike drones, thousands of kilometers to hit distant targets.

"Kiev, lacking funding and access to sufficient modern weapons, has turned to balloons as a low-cost fallback option with the asymmetric advantage of local wind currents," the publication notes.

Sources said Ukraine began using balloons shortly after the Russian invasion to drop bombs or grenades and wear down Russian defenses by carrying cargo that looked like warplanes on radar. In 2024, Ukraine began using balloons, often from U.S. suppliers, as a delivery system for small kamikaze weapons that fly autonomously to a precise target.