russia deploys new drone tech in first Kharkiv strike

The Molniya-1 combat drone was deployed on Kharkiv on Tuesday, November 12. This information was provided by Dmytro Chubenko, a spokesperson for the district prosecutor's office in Kharkiv, as cited by Unian.

"For the first time in Kharkiv, a combat drone—loitering munition called Molniya-1—was used. Its size is somewhere between a home drone, like a Mavic, and a Shahed. It has a wingspan of 1.2 metres and weighs approximately 10 kilograms," explained Chubenko. It's important to note that the Molniya-1 can carry ammunition weighing up to 5 kilograms. The drone can be equipped with both cumulative shells and fragmentation-explosive warheads.

Experts examined the drone and determined that the Molniya-1 is a new design, only "a few years old," and Russia has only recently started deploying it on Ukrainian territory. "It's a small drone. Compared to the Shahed, it is several times smaller. Its ammunition is not capable of accomplishing significant military tasks for the Russian Federation, such as destroying buildings or heavily damaging fortified structures. It's a tactic to terrorize the local population," Chubenko said.

The use of this drone aligns with observations from aviation expert Anatoliy Khrapchynski, who noted that the Russian Federation has been economizing in the war recently and prefers using small drones instead of expensive cruise missiles.

Given that the Molniya-1 is a new design and has so far rarely been seen in Ukraine—and was used for the first time in Kharkiv—the exact specifications of this weapon remain unknown. However, reports suggest it is relatively simple in design, utilizing an electric motor for propulsion and likely a battery with a capacity of 7500 mAh. The craft is also equipped with a camera to enable precise strikes.