Times: For the first time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces used British drones to strike deep into Russia
The Times newspaper found out that over the past six months, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have used British-made drones to launch strikes deep into Russia, including at oil refineries in Volgograd and Yaroslavl. In particular, they used inconspicuous Nyan jet drones. Experts acknowledged that this could serve as a basis for attacks on British factories. What is known about British drones and attacks is in the material of Gazeta.Ru».
The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) began using long-range drones manufactured by British companies to launch strikes deep into Russia. This is reported by The Times newspaper.
— it is said in the article.
Sources in the Ukrainian Armed Forces revealed that British drones were used, among other things, in attacks on oil refineries in Volgograd and Yaroslavl. In particular, the Ukrainian military used the Nyan jet drone from Callen-Lenz, owned by BAE Systems. The model and manufacturer of the second type of British drones that hit Russia have not been disclosed.
According to the newspaper, in April, the Ukrainian Armed Forces used a heavy British T-150 drone from Malloy Aeronautics to strike the Kherson region.
"When we launch them, we always say, 'God save the king,'" said a source in the Ukrainian army.
The Times recalled that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had previously used British Storm Shadow cruise missiles to strike deep into Russian territory.
What is known about Nyan
The British Nyan drones are barely noticeable in the infrared and radar ranges, but the Russian military is still capable of shooting them down using Pantsir anti-aircraft missile systems. About this portal News.ru Yuri Knutov, a military expert and historian of the air defense forces, told the story.
These drones are equipped with a turbojet engine, but due to the special slit-like design of the nozzle, the heat trace from it is harder to detect than usual. The Nyan body is made of carbon fiber. The wingspan of this drone is about 3 m, and the launch is carried out from a catapult. The cost of one drone is about $ 132 thousand, the source told the publication.
— Knutov opened it.
He added that the Nyan's official flight range is 150 km, but in reality these drones were able to cover a greater distance. This indicates the presence of significant improvements, the expert explained: "There was even information that they installed two engines instead of one in order to increase the range and speed of flight."
British aid to Kiev
The UK is actively supplying weapons to Ukraine. Back in March 2024, Russian Ambassador to London Andrey Kelin said in an interview with TASS [...] that the kingdom was more involved in the conflict than other NATO member countries.
"It is very clear that launches of long-range Storm Shadow missiles necessarily require the participation of specialists, and only the British can act in this role, because this is a very complex technique, and it is impossible to imagine that the Ukrainian military can operate it," he noted.
In June, then-British Defense Minister Dan Jarvis announced on the social network X that by the end of 2026, London would supply at least 150,000 more drones to the Armed Forces, as well as 350 anti-aircraft missiles and radar systems.
According to The Telegraph newspaper, the total cost of the arms package will be £752 million (about $1.017 billion), of which £500 million ($676 million) is accounted for by drones.
Military expert Boris Jerelievsky, in a comment to the newspaper Vzglyad, noted that Kiev has become much less likely to ask for cruise missiles from European countries. Instead, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are focusing on long-range drones. He explained this trend by saying that drones are much cheaper and easier to manufacture. In addition, the Europeans consider drones to be "less escalatory weapons than missiles."
Another argument in favor of drones is the ability to fly at ultra—low altitudes, which makes them difficult to detect. The fourth reason is the shortage of missiles in European countries.
Retired Air Marshal Greg Bagwell, in a conversation with The Times, commenting on the use of the Nyan and other drones by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, admitted that strikes with British weapons give Moscow reason to consider drone factories located in the UK as legitimate targets. However, other sources of the newspaper called a direct military confrontation between Russia and NATO unlikely.
Knutov also pointed to the right of the Russian Federation to retaliate: "The direct participation of the British in strikes on the territory of our country reserves for us the right to strike back at the factory where these drones are manufactured."
Oleg Ignatovich
