Report: Ukraine identifies new Russian kamikaze drone
A new type of Russian one-way attack drone has been identified following recent strikes on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, located close to the front line.
Images of the wreckage were published by Serhiy Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian radio technology expert known by the callsign Serhiy Flash, who confirmed the UAV is of a previously undocumented design.
“This is a new type of strike UAV made in the Russian Federation. It has already attacked Sumy several times,” Beskrestnov wrote. “It is serially produced, technologically advanced, and well-built.”
Photos shared by Beskrestnov show the drone’s fuselage partially intact, with some internal components and wiring exposed, possibly as a result of the impact or post-crash inspection. Markings visible on the airframe include what appears to be a serial number or production code — “VZU 1.1538” — which may indicate prototype or limited-run manufacturing.
The drone features a pusher-type configuration, with the propeller mounted at the rear. The body is constructed from lightweight materials, likely composite plastics reinforced with carbon elements, consistent with recent trends in low-cost loitering munitions designed for short-range, high-damage operations.
The compact size, propulsion layout, and overall structure match a one-way drone built for single-use strikes with an onboard explosive payload.
This new variant appears to reflect Russia’s growing reliance on domestically built expendable drones to augment imported systems such as Iran’s Shahed-136. Russian forces have expanded their use of these platforms to strike Ukrainian military positions, infrastructure, and urban centers near active battle zones.
Ukrainian officials have not yet formally commented on the identification of this UAV, but open-source analysts suggest it may be part of a broader trend of fielding low-cost, high-frequency strike drones developed in Russia’s internal defense-industrial networks.
