Ukraine Deploys Rocket Launching Drones in Deep Strikes on Russia

(KYIV) – The Ukrainian Armed Forces have deployed long-range drones capable of launching unguided aerial rockets at targets up to 500 kilometres behind enemy lines, the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) have confirmed.

Commander of the USF Robert Brovdi, known by his call sign “Madgar”, stated that FP-2 drones are now operational with unguided aerial rockets (UARs) alongside a 60 kilogramme strike wing warhead. “USF birds have begun using UARs from long-range drones at an operational depth of up to 500 km, along with a 60 kg strike wing warhead,” Brovdi reported.

Video footage released by the military confirmed the strikes before official acknowledgement of the new capability. The operations hit a strategic secure communications hub of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in occupied Crimea, a gathering point for enemy leadership in the occupied part of the Donetsk region, and port cranes in occupied Berdyansk, Zaporizhzhia region. The cranes had been used to provide logistics for the occupying forces.

A Project 10410 border patrol ship was also struck in the city of Kaspiysk, Republic of Dagestan, Russian Federation. The attack was carried out using drones manufactured by the Ukrainian company Fire Point, specifically the FP-1 and FP-2 models.

Denys Shtilerman, co-owner and chief designer of Fire Point, confirmed the operation in a post on X. “It is very important that the strategic secure communications hub of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy was attacked by our new modernisation of the FP-2 drone, which can launch rockets in FPV mode,” Shtilerman wrote.

The UAR is an unguided aerial rocket typically used on helicopters and ground attack aircraft against surface targets. Brovdi emphasised the tactical advantage of the new application. “No helicopter or aircraft has a chance of reaching the places where the freedom loving Ukrainian unmanned bird flies; therefore, this combined method of using a kamikaze plus eight UARs opens up completely different possibilities,” the USF commander stated.

Brovdi added that rocket equipped drones can be used primarily in the Russian rear, specifically against mobile MANPADS groups and machine gunners guarding air defence systems. The use of such rockets significantly increases the level of destruction a single drone can inflict.