During the MSPO 2025 arms exhibition in Poland, JSC Ukrainian Defense Industry revealed the specifications of the Palianytsia, a Ukrainian-developed long-range weapon labeled a "rocket drone" in official media, even though it has an air-breathing engine. For a reminder, its existence was first announced a year ago, on the Independence Day of Ukraine, August 24, 2024.
Any details had been kept secret until now. The UDI's booth at the Polish expo tells that Palianytsia weighs 320 kg, including a 100-kg payload.
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The maximum range is 650 km, and this almost exactly coincides with the map of military targets inside russia within its attack range that was shown during the very first presentation. The operating flight altitude is from 15 meters to 500 meters above the surface.
Guidance and navigation are ensured by GPS and an inertial measurement unit. Palianytsia takes off using a solid-fuel accelerator, then the jet engine kicks in. One of the most interesting parameters is the declared speed that can reach 900 km/h — comparable to the speed of russian Kh-101 cruise missiles.
In terms of dimensions, Palianytsia is 3.5 meters long, and 1.7 meters in wingspan. Interestingly, compared to previous renders, the shape of the wings has changed, but the shape of the hull and the tail section remained the same.
Currently, there is no confirmation if Palianytsia was ever used in real combat despite previous statement that it was. Likewise, there are neither any photos of a working product nor fragments found in the enemy territory in the public domain — only assumptions that it was this weapon that annihilated the massive ammunition depot in the city of Toropets, russia, in September 2024.
Worth noting, russians once claimed they shot down a Palianytsia, but the photos they presented as proof hinted at a different jet drone used by Ukrainian forces.
By the way, Ukraine also operates a weapon named Peklo, a "rocket drone" similar in concept. But, unlike the Palianytsia, it already has at least one independently confirmed combat deployment to its name, and the results of this incident are known.
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