Russia's new kamikaze drone poses mystery for Ukrainian forces

The Russian Federation Army regularly shells Ukraine using kamikaze drones. However, in one of the latest attacks, the aggressor used a mysterious weapon not previously encountered in the war in Ukraine.

In the attack carried out on July 20, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down 13 out of 16 Shaheds, according to a report by the Ukrainian Air Force Command. Additionally, mobile fire groups managed to defend against an attack by one drone that could not be identified. After examining the downed drone, Ukrainians determined that it was an unmanned aerial vehicle not previously seen in combat.

The Russian kamikaze drone reportedly flew at a very low altitude, only 65-100 feet. While it has some features of other weapons in the Russian arsenal, it differs from weaponry identified by Ukrainians until now. For this reason, in official reports, the defenders describe the mysterious drone launched towards Ukraine by the Russians as an "unknown type" aircraft.

According to the Defense Express portal, the unidentified aircraft visually differs significantly from the popular Shahed-136 drones, which were also used in Saturday's attack. Notably, the mysterious weapon flew at an unusually low altitude, at most 100 feet, indicating that the unknown construction to Ukrainians is a kamikaze drone.

This is an important finding, especially considering the similarity to the Zala 421-20 aircraft. The Zala 421-20 is intended for reconnaissance from a higher altitude and typically does not fly at such low altitudes. Although photos obtained by Defense Express journalists suggest the mysterious UAV is similar to the Zala 421-20, many differences imply the Russians used a completely different and previously unknown equipment in Ukraine.

According to sources cited by the mentioned portal, the unidentified aircraft reportedly has a wingspan exceeding 13 feet. The fuselage profile, however, is square. At the same time, no technical parameters of the mysterious equipment are known. It is unclear what range it has, what speed it achieves, or how much payload it can carry.

Defense Express emphasizes that Ukrainians are already investigating the downed UAV. Such objects are a valuable source of information for them, allowing them to assess the threat posed by unknown enemy weapons and to develop tools that enable effective combat against them.