KYIV, July 13 — Ukraine has built a long-range strike capability around domestically produced unmanned aerial vehicles, according to Ukrainian defense officials, relying on drones that can reach targets up to 1,200 kilometers from the launch point. The Ukrainian-made Liutyi drone, first used in 2023, has a range of up to 1,000 kilometers and carries a warhead of about 50 kilograms, the record shows. Other models in the inventory include the UJ-22 Airborne, with an 800-kilometer range, and the PD-2, which can fly up to 1,200 kilometers.
These systems use GPS navigation and are launched from within Ukraine. Officials confirmed that the drones are used to strike oil depots, airfields, and command centers.
While Russia claims to intercept most of the incoming drones, Ukrainian strikes have successfully hit targets as far as 1,500 kilometers from the border. The economics of the program are a key factor. Each drone costs around $100,000, making them significantly cheaper than cruise missiles.
Production has expanded rapidly, according to Ukrainian defense officials, from a few hundred units in 2022 to over 10,000 units in 2024.
Strategic calculus
The shift to long-range UAVs reflects a broader strategic calculation. For Kyiv, the ability to reach deep into Russian territory with a relatively low-cost platform changes the operational calculus. The drones are not intended to replace missiles but to supplement them, providing a persistent strike capability at a fraction of the cost.
The Liutyi and PD-2 models, with their respective 1,000-kilometer and 1,200-kilometer ranges, allow Ukrainian forces to threaten targets that were previously out of reach for short-range systems. The UJ-22 Airborne, with its 800-kilometer range, fills a middle tier in the strike architecture.
Production and sustainability
The production figures provided by Ukrainian defense officials indicate a rapid scaling of industrial capacity. Moving from a few hundred units in 2022 to over 10,000 in 2024 represents a significant expansion of the defense industrial base. The cost of roughly $100,000 per unit makes the program sustainable over the long term, officials confirmed.
Moscow has consistently stated that its air defense systems intercept the majority of incoming drones. However, the record shows that some strikes have reached their targets, including at distances of up to 1,500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
What remains to be seen is whether Ukraine can maintain this production tempo and continue to develop longer-range variants. The current inventory of three main models — the Liutyi, the UJ-22 Airborne, and the PD-2 — gives Kyiv a layered strike capability, but the strategic effect will depend on the ability to sustain operations over time.
