Ukraine Struck Russia With British Drones
- 16.08.2026, 15:36
We're talking about the Nyan jet-powered UAVs.
Over the past six months, the Ukrainian military has begun using British drones to carry out long-range strikes on targets within Russia. This was The Times was reported by sources in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to them, such drones had not previously been used for similar operations.
Specifically, these include the Nyan jet-powered UAVs developed by Callen-Lenz—a subsidiary of BAE Systems—as well as longer-range drones from another British manufacturer, whose name is being withheld for security reasons. According to the publication’s sources, these drones were used, among other things, in attacks on oil refineries in Volgograd and Yaroslavl.
The Ukrainian military considers British drones to be more effective for such operations than the Storm Shadow missiles previously supplied to Kyiv. The missiles have a range of about 250 km, whereas some of the delivered drones are capable of traveling up to 950–1,000 km. Another advantage cited is the ability to produce, stockpile, and launch UAVs in large groups relatively quickly, placing additional strain on Russian air defense systems.
The cost of the British drones is estimated at 50,000–100,000 pounds sterling, which is significantly cheaper than many Western missiles.
The Nyan is a carbon-fiber strike drone with a wingspan of 2.9 meters and a range of over 250 km. Another British UAV is launched using a catapult and is capable of flying more than 950 km.
According to a high-ranking Ukrainian military source, the majority of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ long-range strikes are still carried out by their own drones with a range of up to 1,800 km. At the same time, the British models, as noted, have also demonstrated high effectiveness in long-range operations.
British drones have also been used to strike targets in the occupied territories of Ukraine. In April, the Ukrainian Armed Forces used a heavy T-150 UAV manufactured by Malloy Aeronautics to attack a bridge across the Konka River in the Russian-controlled part of the Kherson region. According to sources, this was the first time such a target had been destroyed by a drone in combat conditions.