Ukrainian drones can hit targets at 1,800km range - Ukraine’s top spy

Uncrewed systems, developed by the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, already allow hitting military targets at a range of up to 1,800 km.

That’s according to Kyrylo Budanov, head of the GUR defense intelligence agency, who made a statement on his agency’s professional holiday, September 7.

"This year, thanks to the successful operations by our scouts, we proved to the world that the Black Sea does not belong to Russia. We forced the enemy to move their fleet to a ‘safer’ distance, to move beyond the maritime boundaries that they had long considered their own. However, this is only an illusion of control. After all, having unleashed a large-scale aggression against Ukraine, there is no safe place for the Russian occupation army and its structures. The punishment may be postponed, but never canceled."

According to the GUR chief, unmanned systems developed by the agency’s specialists, already allow hitting Russian military targets at a range of up to 1,800 km.

"Military airfields, a source of constant threat to Ukrainian cities, shudder from air attacks. Russia’s entire infrastructure contributing to their war effort has suffered and will suffer losses. After all, instead of defending what’s theirs, Russia chose the wrong path of an unprovoked war and an attack on the lands of a sovereign state,” Budanov stressed.

He recalled that this year, GUR cyber experts ran dozens of successful operations, obtaining valuable intelligence, penetrating Russia’s databases, and finding weak spots in communication networks. Budanov went on to say that these are not the only sources of intelligence on the activities of Russia’s military and political command that the GUR effectively exploits.

"Russia’s statehood, built on fear and brutality, has an expiration date. Therefore, the expansion of the network of loyal supporters, as well as sabotage stunts deep inside Russia, will proceed," Budanov said.

According to the top spy, the agency’s active operations units are constantly engaged in complex combat missions both on the line of contact and beyond. GUR forces repel enemy attacks, ensure the evacuation of the wounded, release Ukraine’s defenders and civilians from Russian captivity, and bring Ukrainian citizens home from the countries where active hostilities are raging.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, a GUR cyberattack on September 4 targeted Russia’s Lukoil energy giant, the Traffic Police Department, the Bank of Russia, and a number of government bodies.