Ukrainian unmanned forces destroy Russian Orion drone base in occupied Crimea
Ukrainian military drone unit Madyar's Birds destroys Russian Orion strike-drone base (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
Ukrainian forces destroyed a storage and maintenance site for Russian Orion strike-reconnaissance drones in temporarily occupied Crimea, near the settlement of Kirovske, reported Robert Brovdi, commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, callsign Madyar.
According to him, fighters of the Madyar's Birds unit struck the enemy on the night of November 13. It was this unit of the 1st Separate Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces (previously the 14th Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Forces – ed.) that carried out the operation, as a result of which the enemy facility was destroyed.
Earlier, on September 13, 2025, fighters of the 414th Brigade of Madyar's Birds had already shot down one of these Orion drones in the air. According to Madyar, the elimination of the storage site in Crimea became a logical continuation of that operation.
Orion is a Russian reconnaissance and strike drone capable of carrying aerial bombs and air-to-ground missiles. Its technical characteristics enable it to remain airborne for up to 24 hours at altitudes of up to 7,500 meters, with a wingspan of 16.3 meters. Such a drone is considered a rare and expensive asset in the Russian arsenal.
Who manufactures components for Orion
About one-third of the companies involved in producing Russian Orion drones are still not under sanctions by any country of the sanctions coalition. According to Ukrainian intelligence, this creates a real risk of continued supply of critical components and, accordingly, enables Russia to continue waging war against Ukraine.
Among the identified enterprises are manufacturers of electro-optical systems, ground communication stations, and polymer-composite materials for drone airframes.
"Developments like the Orion pose a threat not only to Ukraine but to the civilized world as a whole: technologies and components can be transferred to Russia's allies, including Iran and the DPRK, which expands the risks of their military use in other regions," the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine noted.
