Air Base Attacks Put Spotlight On Long-Range Drone Program

Drone strikes on two Russian airbases have brought attention to Ukrainian drone programs, reports CNN.

On Monday, explosions were reported at the Engels and Dyagilevo long-range aviation airbases, reported the War Zone website.

A third explosion was reported on Tuesday at an airfield in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine. An oil tanker was destroyed and there were no casualties in that attack, regional officials said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Monday’s attacks were conducted by Soviet-era jet-powered drones and that they were shot down by Russian air defenses.

It has been speculated that modified Tu-141 Strizh drones were used in the attacks.

Meanwhile, Ukroboronprom, Ukraine’s state-owned defense firm, recently indicated that it was wrapping up work on a new long-range drone.

In an October social media post, the company said that it was close to finishing work on a new drone weighing 165 pounds (75 kg) with a range of 620 miles (1,000 km).

Another report in late November indicated that it had entered a new phase of testing under electronic warfare conditions.

Finally, on Dec. 3, a company spokeswoman said that several stages of testing had been successfully completed.

No further information on the system has been made public.