Explained: Ukraine’s Palianytsia — A Cruise Missile-Like Long-Range Rocket Drone Developed In 18 Months

Ukraine has developed a novel long-range unmanned drone that is unlike any other and which can be a serious threat to Russia.

The drone "Palianytsia," which is more like a cruise missile, was unveiled by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a video posted on the social platform X on 25 August, after the drone was successfully used against the Russians.

Describing its first successful combat use, Zelensky stated, "Today was the first, and successful, combat use of our new weapon. A completely new class of weapon — the Ukrainian missile-drone Palianytsia."

He added, "This is our new method of retaliation against the aggressor. The enemy has been struck."

The drone is entirely novel and does not have any direct equivalent in the world.

Palianytsia is peculiar in the sense that, unlike other drones, it uses a turbojet engine to power itself, similar to a cruise missile.

However, its warhead, weighing just tens of kilograms (kg), is much smaller than that of a typical cruise missile, which usually carries a 1,000 lb (pound) or 400 kg warhead.

This drone has many similarities with a cruise missile.

It has control surfaces, is powered by a turbojet engine, and is a one-way drone. However, it does not travel as fast as a cruise missile but is significantly faster than various other types of drones.

Although details of the drone are kept secret, the video suggests that about two-dozen Russian airfields are within its striking range, one of which is the Savasleyka Airbase, located 665 kilometres (km) inside the Russian border. This indicates that the drone may have a range of close to 700 km.

The Ukrainians refer to the Palianytsia as a rocket drone.

The drone is only capable of being ground-launched and cannot be fired from the air or from a ship at sea.

Palianytsia is not expected to cost much, with several officials claiming it will be cheaper than $1 million but more expensive than the Russian, Iranian-bought Shahed-136 long-range drones.

With some characteristics similar to a cruise missile and a price only marginally higher than that of suicide drones, Palianytsia could become an effective tool against the Russians for targeting assets deep inside their territory, which Ukraine's Western backers have so far prohibited them from doing.

While the drone is novel and was developed in just under 18 months from start to finish, its effectiveness will depend on the speed of its production.

However, like any weapon in war, Palianytsia is not a silver bullet and should not be regarded as such.

The speed of its development is commendable, but it will only have a lasting impact if the Ukrainians can produce it in large numbers.