Solutions to win: plastic container manufacturer from Kharkiv region launches production of long-range drones
Photo: WSJ
A group of workers in a hangar in western Ukraine is assembling drones that will be used to carry out strikes in distant Russian territory.
The Wall Street Journal reports this.
What is the problem?
In the war against Russia, Ukraine is actively employing long-range drones to strike against Russian oil refineries, airfields, and logistics facilities. These strikes aimed to disrupt the Russian military's fuel supply and limit Moscow's export earnings for war funding.
As the publication emphasizes, by moving the war to Russia, Kyiv could also force Moscow to redeploy its air defense systems a little further from the front line.
Therefore, to meet the demand for such drones, startups have appeared in the country that produce various UAVs and offer several models.
"Ukraine is betting on long-range drones, increasing the cost of war for Russia.
Ukraine is doubling down on its campaign of strikes against Russian oil refineries, airfields, and logistics facilities," the publication notes.
What is the solution?
An entrepreneur from the Kharkiv region also joined this project. Before the Russian invasion, the businessman was engaged in producing plastic containers in the north of the Kharkiv region, and even earlier, he was the chief specialist of the Kharkiv Aviation Plant.
Last summer, the special services gave him a long-range drone prototype and asked him to replicate it.
How does it work?
The owner of the drone factory asked not to disclose the location of the production, the drone's name, and the workers' identity to protect them from a Russian attack.
The businessman hired several veterans of the aviation industry.
The 74-year-old specialist who produces drones says that at his age, he should have retired a long time ago, but the country is at war.
Photo: WSJ
According to him, the next challenge was expansion.
Currently, 75 workers are on the production line, which starts by pressing fiberglass mesh into molds that resemble wings, tails, and noses.
Once the parts have been oven-cured for 11 hours, they are assembled to create a small plane with a wingspan of 2 meters. The engine and explosives are then installed at a separate plant.
The factory is currently limited to producing only one or two cases of each type of drone per day. To increase capacity, the businessman recently acquired a second polymerization furnace. He intends to expand the facility and hire an additional 50 employees to operate two shifts.
Photo: WSJ
At the same time, he is developing his own drone model with a planned range of over 1,000 km.
According to one of the drone manufacturers, manufacturing costs range from $30,000 to $300,000 per unit. But it is still significantly less than the cost of a cruise missile.
The WSJ noted that the rapid development of Ukraine's drone industry underscores the ingenuity that allowed it to withstand the invasion of a much larger neighbor.
It is not known how many long-range drones Ukraine is currently producing.
For reference:
Based on the account of a Ukrainian military intelligence officer involved in the deployment of drones, it appears that only approximately 20% of the drones successfully reach their intended destination due to interference from the Russian side.
It is worth mentioning that Ukrainian defense companies have created "Rubak," a type of operational-strategic-level barrage ammunition with a range of 500 kilometers.
In addition, Ukraine has developed a secret strike drone with a range of 800 kilometers. Ukrainian experts revealed the characteristics of the Ukrainian development – a long-range Morok drone.
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