Garpiya

The Garpiya is a family of long-range combat drones developed by IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of Almaz-Antey, for use in the Russo-Ukrainian War. The company set up a factory in China to produce kits for export to Russia, while the main assembly facility is in Izhevsk, housed in a former concrete plant acquired in 2020. The drones incorporate Chinese engines, parts, and technology but are assembled in Russia. According to the company, 500 units were built in the second half of 2023, and 2,000 in the first half of 2024.

Their use and production were first extensively reported by Reuters in 2024. The Garpiya-A1 has been used against both civilian and military targets in Ukraine. By 2025, around 500 Garpiya variants were reportedly deployed each month in the conflict. The Russian Africa Corps has also used the Garpiya-A1 in the Mali War, with wreckage of a KK variant found near Sévaré in May 2026.

The design resembles the HESA Shahed 136, and the engine is a Limbach L550E from Xiamen Limbach. Variants include the Garpiya-1A (initial variant) and the Garpiya-3 (advanced variant).