The system, named Bars, reportedly has an operational range of up to 800 kilometers, according to a BBC report citing a Ukrainian government source.
The missile's existence was publicly confirmed by Herman Smetanin, Ukraine’s Minister for Strategic Industries, during the recent Ukrainian Weapons 2024 briefing. Bars was named alongside other domestically developed guided drones/cruise missiles, such as the Peklo, Palianytsia, and Ruta.
Read more: The Ukrainian Peklo Cruise Missile or Drone-Missile: What Can Be Inferred from Photos Regarding Its Characteristics and Capabilities
Although no technical specifications were officially disclosed at the event, Ukrainian officials described these systems as a new class of drone missiles — effectively hybrids between conventional cruise missiles and long-range UAVs. These weapons are said to feature compact turbofan engines, relatively small warheads (typically in the 50–100 kg range), and airframes resembling fixed-wing drones. This combination allows them to travel at high subsonic speeds over extended distances while remaining difficult to intercept with conventional air defense systems.
Bars is reportedly a private-sector innovation that shares similar characteristics with the Peklo missile, including its range and flight profile. It falls into the Middle Strike category, referring to a system optimized for medium-range strikes at operational depth.
Sources familiar with the program note that one of Bars’ key advantages is its scalability for mass production inside Ukraine, making it a strategic asset in the ongoing war of attrition. The missile is expected to enter service with the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the near future, further expanding Ukraine’s arsenal of domestically produced long-range precision weapons.
These drone missiles can be launched from ground-based platforms or aircraft, offering flexible deployment options for deep strikes on enemy logistics hubs, command centers, and air defense nodes well beyond the front line.
By integrating weapons like Bars into its operational toolkit, Ukraine continues to pursue asymmetric innovation and offsetting russia's numerical superiority with cost-effective, precision strike capabilities that are difficult to detect and intercept.
Read more: Ukraine Has New Long-Range Weapon: Palianytsia Missile and Drone Hybrid, Already Used
