The Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense confirmed Kiev’s involvement in the drone attacks in the cities of Elabuga and Nizhnekamsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, stating that the targets were Iranian Shahed drone production facilities used by Russia against Ukraine .
Although the local authorities claim that “the technological process was not disrupted”, however, HUR mentions that the attack resulted in damage to the respective facilities.
HUR does not specify the type of drone used in the attacks in Tatarstan, but a pro-Kremlin information source, Mash, picked up by the Ukrainian publication Zerkalo Nedeli, claims that it is a UJ-22 drone developed by the company Ukrjet.
UJ-22, a danger to Russian targets
The Ukrainian publication provides more information about this mysterious drone that came to the attention of military analysts after it was spotted especially near Moscow.
According to the manufacturer, the UJ-22 Airborne is a multifunctional drone, capable of flying at any time of the day and in any weather conditions, including in conditions of active use of electronic warfare by the enemy side. The drone can perform search and rescue as well as reconnaissance missions for the military, police, special services and emergency services.
Zerkalo Nedeli notes that this drone was presented for the first time on June 16, 2021, at the international exhibition “Arms and Security – 2021”.
Technical specifications
- maximum take-off weight: 85 kilograms
- total length: 3.3 meters
- wingspan: 4.6 meters
- maximum flight altitude: 6 kilometers
- maximum flight time: 14 hours
- maximum/cruising speed: 200/140 kilometers per hour
- engine: two-stroke, gasoline
- payload capacity: 20 kilograms
According to the military publication The War Zone, the UJ-22 drones officially have a maximum flight range of 800 kilometers, but this range can vary depending on the payload and other factors. These drones can be controlled by an operator up to a distance of 100 kilometers, after which they can fly autonomously using a pre-planned route.
Ukraine is working on drones with artificial intelligence
The first information about the use of this drone appeared in April last year, after the discovery of a device filled with explosives in the Bogorodskoe district of the Moscow region. According to Russian media, the drone crashed after running out of fuel.
Some military analysts say UJ-22 drones were also used in the attack on the Kremlin last May.
A day before the attack in Tatarstan, Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation Mihailo Fedorov told German newspaper Die Welt that his country was continuing to upgrade its drones to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.
“Most of the drones that attacked Russian oil refineries have a range of 700 to 1,000 kilometers, but now there are models that can fly over 1,000 kilometers,” Fedorov said.
According to him, Ukraine has increased its production of drones tenfold compared to 2023, and by the end of this year it could launch the first prototypes of drones with artificial intelligence.
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