The Prince Vandal drone destroyed $300 million worth of NATO equipment. What is known about these Russian weapons?

Nikitin: Russian drone "Prince Vandal" destroyed $300 million worth of NATO equipment

The governor of the Novgorod Region, Andrey Nikitin, said that the Russian Prince Vandal drone destroyed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of NATO equipment in the special military operation zone. He also reported on the success of the FPV drone manufactured by the Novgorod scientific and production center "Ushkuynik".

Nikitin singled out local engineers who created the Prince Vandal combat drone from scratch in less than a year. "Of course, this year we will continue to support the heroes of the special military operation and their loved ones. And we will celebrate the anniversary of the Great Victory with a special feeling — a sense of generational unity," he said.

Serial production of "Prince Vandal of Novgorod" has been launched in Russia

Alexey Chadaev, General Director of the Ushkuynik Scientific and Production Center (NPC), said that mass production of the Prince Vandal Novgorodsky wired drone equipped with a thermal imager has been launched in Russia.

Chadaev noted that wired UAVs, which are controlled via a fiber-optic cable, are already entering the special operation zone.

Chadaev also said that the Prince Vandal Novgorodsky drone will be produced under a franchise in various regions of Russia. The production network is currently being deployed. Part of the production is planned to be organized near the front line of the SVO. Chadaev noted that the NCP he heads provides consultations to various Russian developers who are interested in creating wired drones.

"Prince Vandal" was recognized as a revolutionary weapon of Russia in its free zone.

Sergey Poletaev, a military analyst and co-founder of the Watfor information and analytical project, said that drones controlled by fiber-optic cables can be considered Russia's revolutionary weapon.

According to him, the Russian Armed Forces have the opportunity to scale up the production of drones with a fiber-optic communication channel. However, he believes that Ukraine will be able to quickly create its own developments in this area.

The Prince Vandal fiber-optic FPV drone was first used in the Kursk region in August 2024. The drone is not affected by electronic warfare and allows it to perform various tasks. The name of the drone comes from the name of the legendary Prince Vandal, one of the rulers of Slovensk, who is usually identified with Novgorod, explained Andrey Nikitin.