Ukraine has upgraded its “Palianytsia” drone missile, now with a stated 650 km (400 miles) range, according to defense outlet Militarnyi.
The “Palianytsia,” unveiled in 2024, is a jet-powered drone with characteristics similar to those of a cruise missile. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed its use against a Russian military base in the Voronezh region on Aug. 24, Ukraine’s Independence Day that year.
While the specifications of the initial version have been kept secret, Militarnyi reported the sighting of an upgraded Palianytsia at the defense exhibition in Kielce, Poland, and listed some of its capabilities, presumably provided by the manufacturer Ukroboronprom to the outlet.
Militarnyi said the version shown in Poland is 3.5-meters (11.5-feet) long with a wingspan of 1.7 meters (5.6 feet), with “an updated wing and tail design, as well as a more elongated fuselage.”
It added that the maximum takeoff weight is 320 kg (705 lbs), of which a third – 100 kg (220 lbs) – “is accounted for by the combat unit,” likely referencing the warhead.
If the report is true, it would outweigh the initial speculation that the Palianytsia had a 50-kg (110-lbs) warhead.
The outlet then said the Palianytsia has a range of 650 km and a maximum speed of 900 km/h (560 mph) via the use of a single-circuit turbojet engine, with the ability to fly at altitudes between 15-500 meters (50-1640 feet). The take-off is rocket-assisted.
As for navigation and targeting, the outlet said the Palianytsia uses a combination of inertial navigation system (INS) and GPS receivers for guidance and deviation adjustment, similar to most drones, while lacking features such as the Terrain Contour Matching System (TERCOM) seen on US-made Tomahawk missiles that compares real-time images with onboard maps to verify its flight path to negate GPS errors due to jamming or spoofing.
Kyiv confirmed the Palianytsia entered mass production in December 2024. The same month, Lithuania said it would invest in the missile’s production.
Kyiv has been tight-lipped over the combat use of the Palianytsia after its unveiling.
In August 2025, Ukraine also unveiled its new long-range missile, the Flamingo, which it claims has a range of 3,000 km (1,864 miles), surpassing all Western weaponry the country has received to date.
The stated production capacity as of August was roughly one missile per day, with plans to boost the number to seven daily by October. The manufacturer also said the missile is superior to the US-made Tomahawk cruise missile, which Ukraine has yet to receive.
The Flamingo missiles are believed to have been used during a recent strike on Russian bases and airfields in occupied Crimea.