Conflict drone research

Ukraine drones: named systems in the Russia–Ukraine war

The Russia–Ukraine war is the clearest modern example of drones operating at industrial scale across reconnaissance, artillery support, one-way attack, heavy-bomber, FPV, and counter-UAS roles.

What drones are documented here?

Public evidence covers both imported systems and rapidly changing domestic Ukrainian platforms. Named-system pages should be separated from the much larger universe of generic FPV and commercial-adapted drones.

DroneManufacturerRoleEvidence
Shahed-136 / Geran-2
Shahed-136 · Geran-2
Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA); Russian production under the Geran-2 nameOne-way attack UAV used for long-range strike missions.Confirmed system use
Shahed-131 / Geran-1
Shahed-131 · Geran-1
Iranian defense industry; Russian production relationship publicly documentedSmaller one-way attack UAV used in Russia’s long-range strike campaign.Confirmed system use
Mohajer-6
Mohajer 6
Iranian defense industryReusable armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance UAV.Confirmed system use
Bayraktar TB2
TB2 · Bayraktar
BaykarMedium-altitude long-endurance armed ISR UAV.Confirmed system use
ZALA Lancet
Lancet-3 · Item 51 · Item 52
ZALA Aero Group, part of Kalashnikov ConcernReconnaissance-linked loitering munition for precision attack missions.Confirmed system use
Orlan-10
Orlan 10
Special Technology Center (STC) and associated Russian suppliersCatapult-launched reconnaissance and artillery-observation UAV.Confirmed system use
Vampire / Baba Yaga
Vampire UAS · Baba Yaga
Ukrainian defense manufacturer; company name not disclosed in the cited Ministry of Defence pageHeavy multirotor UAS used for battlefield delivery, support, and strike missions.Confirmed system use
LITAVR interceptor
LITAVR · F-Drones interceptor
F-DronesCounter-UAS interceptor designed to engage Shahed-type UAVs and other aerial targets.Confirmed system use
Octopus interceptor
Octopus UAV interceptor
Ukrainian defense industry consortium; four contracted manufacturers are named by the Ministry of Defence, but not identified on the cited pageInterceptor UAV for countering Shahed-type attack drones.Confirmed system use

How the evidence should be interpreted

This page maps named platforms to the conflict based on the sources below. It does not turn a manufacturer’s product page into proof of a particular battlefield event, and it does not treat every military statement as independently verified. The individual drone pages explain exactly what each source establishes.

The word “used” can mean different things: a platform may be fielded by a combatant, supplied to a combatant, identified in debris, or named in an official inventory. Those are different evidence levels, which is why this page shows the status beside every system.

Conflict timeline

2014–present; full-scale invasion from February 2022

Program hubs beyond this conflict inventory

This page lists named systems documented in the Russia–Ukraine war; it is not a full map of Russian or Iranian UAV programs.

For Russian fleet and service-name context (including Geran designations), continue on Russian drones. For Shahed-family identity across theaters, use Shahed drones.

For doctrine across conflicts rather than one theater inventory, see drone warfare. For the generic FPV role itself, cheap enough to field by the thousand and the reason both sides shifted toward fiber-optic control links, see FPV drones in war.

Ukraine war drone FAQ

What drones are documented in the Ukraine war?

Shahed-136 / Geran-2, Shahed-131 / Geran-1, Mohajer-6, Bayraktar TB2, ZALA Lancet, Orlan-10, Vampire / Baba Yaga, LITAVR interceptor, Octopus interceptor are the named systems in this first-release evidence set. The list is not a claim that these are the only drones present in the conflict.

How reliable is drone identification in the Ukraine war?

Reliability varies. Official releases and manufacturer records support confirmed entries; open-source and monitoring reports support reported entries. Incident-level claims need separate verification.

Conflict sources

JV

An editor's note on method. Every full article carries a named author, uses filings and primary sources instead of aggregators, and is dated on publication. Informational only — not investment advice · We hold no positions.Read our method →

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