Larisa Kozova17:27, 03.06.26
Such drones are usually lighter than the long-range drones that attack Russia’s defense and oil infrastructure.
New details have emerged about a classified medium-range drone that Ukrainian forces are using to strike at Russia’s R-280 logistics route far beyond the southern front lines. As Business Insider analysts note , the 412th Nemesis Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces has released footage and video of the preparation for the launch of a strike drone called the Morrigan.
The brigade noted that the aircraft-type drone with a single propeller engine in the nose is manufactured in Ukraine and is designed to operate behind enemy lines. The military called the Morrigan their “secret weapon” of medium range.
The video of the preparation for the flight shows that the drone is approximately 1.2–1.5 meters long. It has swept wings and two tail stabilizers. Judging by the footage, the launch is carried out from a rail or catapult installation, which allows you to do without a runway.
The Morrigan is a representative of a new class of drones that Ukraine has increasingly used this year to strike Russian troops and logistics at distances of approximately 20 to 300 kilometers from the front line.
Such drones are typically lighter than the long-range drones that attack Russia’s defense and oil infrastructure, and they use an aircraft design rather than the FPV-type quadcopters that dominate the battlefield.
According to analysts and Ukrainian officials, the purpose of using such drones is to slow down the Russian offensive by forcing the occupying forces to divert logistical routes away from areas they considered safe.
This is exactly what, according to the 412th Brigade, Morrigan is doing on the R-280 (so-called “Novorossiya”) highway, a 600-kilometer route that Russia uses to supply its southern group.
“This aircraft has repeatedly operated in Crimea and destroyed key Russian air defense and support targets. And now it is conducting a logistical hunt from Mariupol to Crimea,” the brigade said.
The R-280 highway runs from Rostov-on-Don to Crimea through all the occupied territories of southern Ukraine. It runs approximately 80–120 kilometers from the front line along the coast of the Sea of Azov through Mariupol and Melitopol.
Last week, the 412th Brigade released video of several drone attacks on supply convoys and fuel tankers traveling along this route, claiming to have destroyed “dozens” of Russian trucks and gas stations.
“At that time, the military did not call Morrigan directly, using only the wording “secret wing”, specially created for such strike missions,” analysts note.
Meanwhile, the article says, Russian-controlled officials in the occupied territories have said they are working on alternative routes for the R-280 highway due to increased Ukrainian attacks since mid-May. The route is also reportedly used by civilian and commercial traffic.
Russian state news agency TASS reported at least five Ukrainian attacks on the R-280 highway last week, at least three of which were directed against supply convoys or fuel trucks.Read also:
On May 21, the Russian-appointed “governor” of the occupied part of the Kherson region, Volodymyr Saldo, ordered the temporary closure of part of the highway to non-essential civilian traffic, analysts note.
(c)UNIAN 2026