Up to 900 km/h: What Ukraine's Palianytsya and Peklo missile-drones can do
Peklo missile-drone (photo: video screenshot)
On the night of August 12, Ukraine's long-range Palianytsya and Peklo missile-drones were used together in a coordinated operation for the first time against the Russian naval base in Novorossiysk. The weapons can strike targets at distances of 650–700 km.
RBC-Ukraine gathered information on the characteristics of the missile-drones that struck Novorossiysk.
What are the specifications of Palianytsya?
Palianytsya is a missile-drone weighing 320 kilograms, with up to 100 kilograms of payload. Its maximum range is 650 kilometers, while its cruising speed reaches 900 kilometers per hour. Its flight altitude ranges from 15 to 500 meters.
Ukraine first used Palianytsya in August 2024. During the MSPO 2025 defense exhibition, Ukroboronprom (Ukraine's state-owned defense industry company) revealed the specifications of the missile-drone, according to Defense Express.
Palianytsya specifications (photo: Ukroboronprom infographic)
The missile is 3.5 meters long and has a wingspan of 1.7 meters. Palianytsya is equipped with a single-spool turbojet engine and a combined INS+GPS guidance system. It is launched from a ground-based launcher using a solid-fuel booster.
A missile-drone, or drone-missile, is an intermediate class of weapon between a kamikaze attack drone and a conventional cruise missile. In Ukraine, this class includes Palianytsya and Peklo, as well as the later introduced Bars and Ruta.
In Russia, the S8000 Banderol cruise missile is considered a direct conceptual counterpart. According to the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, it is manufactured by the sanctioned Kronstadt company.
Conceptually, Banderol is similar to the Ukrainian developments and the American AGM-158C LRASM anti-ship missile, but is inferior to them in size and warhead power.
Aviation expert Kostiantyn Kryvolap told RBC-Ukraine that the main advantage of such a munition is its speed, which allows it to penetrate air defenses for precision strikes, while the need for an airborne carrier and its high cost, three times higher than that of a Shahed, limit the potential for the mass use of Banderol.
How Peklo differs from Palianytsya
Peklo is a hybrid of an attack drone and a cruise missile developed by Ukraine's defense industry.
As former Minister for Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin stated during the transfer of the first batch of missile-drones to the Defense Forces in December 2024, Peklo was developed from scratch within a year, and the weapon had already been successfully used in combat. According to him, the missile-drone reaches a speed of 700 kilometers per hour and has a range of up to 700 kilometers.
The Palianytsya and Peklo missile-drones were only part of the arsenal used by the Defense Forces of Ukraine during the operation against the Russian naval base in Novorossiysk, the last major stronghold of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea.
According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, four types of missiles — Palianytsya, Peklo, Bars, and Long Neptune — were used together in a coordinated operation for the first time, along with some attack drones and unmanned boats. The president confirmed that several Russian fleet vessels were hit in Novorossiysk Bay, including the Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov frigates.
The consequences of the strike were also felt by the regional economy: a grain terminal in Novorossiysk suspended operations after the Ukrainian attack, and up to a third of Russia's grain exports pass through it. Zelenskyy called the operation an example of "long-range sanctions" and said Ukraine would continue to push Russia toward peace through the further use of long- and medium-range weapons.
