Ukrainian forces shoot down Molniya successor: Wooden kamikaze drone carried 12-kg mine
Photo: Upyr-K (Russian media)
Anti-aircraft gunners from Ukraine's 59th Assault Brigade shot down an Upyr-K attack drone - a new type of kamikaze UAV that Russia is attempting to use as a replacement for the Molniya-2. The drone can travel up to 50 km and carry a warhead weighing up to 12 kg, including a TM-62 anti-tank mine, according to Khizhaky Vysot 1st Unmanned Systems Battalion.
What is known about the downing of the Upyr
Anti-aircraft gunners from the 59th Yakiv Handziuk Assault Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces shot down a Russian Upyr-K attack drone. The target was hit using an interceptor drone. The Khizhaky Vysot 1st Unmanned Systems Battalion published a video of the engagement.
The Russians had previously used drones of this type on the front line, but their exact designation was unknown.
Wooden kamikaze drone with 12-kg mine: Ukrainian troops take down new Molniya drone pic.twitter.com/wsHfptzJmQ
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) September 18, 2026
What are the specifications of the Upyr-K
The Upyr-K attack UAV was developed by the Russian company Uraldronzavod, which manufactures the drones in the Sverdlovsk region. It is a twin-engine fixed-wing kamikaze drone with an open-frame wooden structure.
This aerodynamic design allows the UAV to fly dozens of kilometers. The manufacturer claims an operational range of about 50 km from the launch point.
In terms of payload capacity, the new drone surpasses the Molniya-2 - it can carry a warhead weighing up to 12 kg, including a TM-62 anti-tank mine. The drone transmits video at frequencies of approximately 2.0-2.1 GHz, according to data as of June 2026, while the munition detonates on impact using a contact or modified fuze.
In addition, the Upyr can be equipped with a communications relay station, which increases the range of attack UAVs several times.
Ukrainian units continue carrying out targeted strikes against enemy positions using FPV attack drones. For example, troops recently struck a Russian communications hub that the enemy had set up in a damaged residential building in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region. The target, located 16 km from the launch point, was hit by a UB60D drone made by Ukrainian Armor and equipped with an integrated 60-mm mine, designed specifically to strike antennas, individual infantry personnel and loitering drones.
