Bober (drone)

Lore & Background

The Bober drone was commissioned at the request of the Ukrainian military intelligence agency HUR, who asked Ihor Lachenkov in December 2022 for a drone that could fly very far. A public fundraising campaign called Hovor Khell, announced via the Telegram account Lachen Pyshe, raised approximately 20 million hryvnia (half a million dollars) for its development. On 11 May 2023, photographs were published and it was stated that the drone had already been used to accrue losses by Russian forces. On 30 May 2023, it was used to conduct a series of drone strikes in suburban Moscow. The drone reportedly has a range of 600 to 1,000 km and carries a KZ-6 shaped charge warhead. It features a rear-mounted pusher propeller and potentially a sensor package in the nose. Images released publicly in July matched footage taken by Russians over Ilyinsky, Moscow Oblast, on 30 May 2023.

Reader's Guide

The Bober drone's significance lies in its role as a domestically produced Ukrainian weapon capable of striking deep into Russian territory. Its development was driven by a public fundraising effort, highlighting a civilian contribution to military capability. The drone was used in a series of attacks on Moscow, including strikes on the IQ-quarter high-rise buildings in July and August 2023, and possibly the Kremlin drone attack, though other drones have also been identified as being involved. On 9 July 2024, Ukrainian Bober drones struck a Russian missile testing facility at Kapustin Yar; Russian officials claimed more than 20 drones were shot down, while one black painted Bober drone crash-landed in a field, with subsequent satellite images showing scorch marks at the facility. The drones may be vulnerable to Russian electronic warfare, which is often cited as having suppressed such drones, but even if suppressed, the drone will still crash into something with an explosive payload. The emphasis on drones like the Bober aligns with a comment from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 30 July 2023 that 'gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia – to its symbolic centers and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process'. Russian milbloggers have been critical of the lack of protection against such attacks.

Did You Know?

• The Bober drone was funded through a public campaign called Hovor Khell, raising about 20 million hryvnia.
• On 30 May 2023, it was used in drone strikes in suburban Moscow.