Inside Ukrainian UJ-26 Bober drone used to target Moscow
Launch of Bober drone in the summer 2025 (Photo: Video screenshot / Ukrainian Military Intelligence / YouTube)
Ukraine uses long-range drones - Bober (Beaver), Liutyi, Palianytsia, and Morok as part of its campaign of medium- and long-range strikes against Russian territory, former tennis player and SBU Special Operations Center "A" commando Serhii Stakhovskyi told Ukrinform in June.
During the attack on the Moscow Oil Refinery on June 18, Ukraine used Liutyi, FP-1, Morok, and Bober drones, military blogger Mykhailo Zhyrokhov wrote.
UJ-26 Bober — main characteristics
The UJ-26 is a long-range kamikaze drone designed for pinpoint strikes on Russian strategic targets and airfields. Ukrainian Defense Forces use these drones for strikes on Moscow and its outskirts, as well as for operations in Crimea.
Kruk UAV operator training center reported that the drone's first "official public" use was recorded in May 2023 during an attack on Moscow. The Military Intelligence (HUR) noted that these drones were the first to launch deep strikes into Russian territory.
Manufacturer: Ukraine
In service since: 2023
Weight: 150 kg
Warhead weight: 20 kg
Speed: 120–200 km/h
Flight range: up to 1,000 km
Flight duration: 7 hours
Cost: $108,000
Length: 2.5 m
Wingspan: 2.5–3.5 m
The drone is built using a "canard" aerodynamic design, where the horizontal stabilizer is located in front of the wing. The drone was earlier equipped with landing gear and required a runway, but the modified version is launched from a catapult.
Bober is controlled by an operator in real-time, allowing it to hit moving targets or targets with unknown coordinates.
The drone also features a thermal imaging camera, as well as satellite and inertial navigation.
In 2025, Defense Express portal wrote that the Bober could be called an analog of the Russian-Iranian Shahed-136, as it operated on a similar principle. However, following modifications, the Bober can now be compared to the Russian Lancet or other loitering munitions.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
