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Palyanitsa

The US and NATO countries prohibit the use of their long-range missiles for strikes on Russian territory . In response, Zelensky said that Ukraine is working on creating its own long-range missiles. "The missile program of Ukraine includes a cluster called "Palyanytsya". The cluster currently includes three products: the first element was tested positively. This is a drone missile, which is much faster than our long-range drones. And more powerful. These are all the details about which I am ready for an open discussion," Zelensky said at a press briefing. He also noted that Ukraine will develop “powerful and long-range” missiles.

Militarnye wrote about testing new drones in January 2024. At the same time, photos of a drone with jet propulsion were published. Then volunteer and head of the Volunteer Battalion Charitable Foundation Maxim Glushak posted footage of the drone online and reported that the jet-powered "birds" had been successfully tested. From the photo, one can only conclude that the drone's design includes a streamlined body resembling a rocket in shape, as well as curved wings and landing gear for takeoff. The presence of air intakes also suggests that the drone may be equipped with jet propulsion.

The Defense Express portal added that Ukrainian specialists have chosen the optimal path – a combination of efficiency and a relatively low cost of the product. Therefore, "Palyanitsa" is a maneuverable type of weapon and can become a problem for air defense.

On the occasion of Independence Day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced the success of the new Ukrainian missile. In general, this is a small cruise missile. It is noted that the new jet-powered kamikaze drone made its first flight in January 2024. Ukraine used the new Palyanytsia drone missile for the first time. This is a Ukrainian-made weapon. RBC-Ukraine reports this with reference to President Volodymyr Zelenskyi's statement during the Independence Day event. , which was presented by the Turkish company Roketsan at the end of March 2022. The Chinese also have similar developments.

"Today, a completely new weapon was used for the first time - the Ukrainian drone missile Palyanitsa", - Zelensky. "Just today, the first and successful combat use of our new weapon took place. An absolutely new class of weapon - the Ukrainian Palyanitsy drone missile. This is our new method of retaliating against the aggressor," the head of state said. Zelensky emphasized that the enemy was hit. He thanked developers, manufacturers and Ukrainian soldiers. "We know that it will be very difficult for Russia to even say what exactly has arrived, it is difficult to counter it, but it is very easy to understand why," the president added.

The new Ukrainian drone missile "Palyanytsia" is a response to the delay of some partners in making important decisions. Ukraine is working on developing domestic long-range missiles . Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this at a press conference with the Prime Minister of Lithuania and the President of Poland. "Our new military solutions, including the Palyanitsa missile, are our way of acting while some of our partners are slow in making decisions. Our decisions and those of our partners must work together and only in such a way that we achieve our common victory together," the head of state said. "Today I said that the first use of our long-range weapons took place. We are preparing certain "powerful" decisions. We demand no less determination from our partners. Those of our friends can encourage our allies to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons in Ukraine, and can bring our common victory closer,"

"People work 24/7. They promised long-range drones - they made them. 1500 km, we already have such products. And now drone-rockets are appearing... There will be other rockets, very powerful and very long-range," the president said. The head of state also noted that the cluster currently includes three products. The tests of the first element, that is, the Palyanitsa drone rocket, were successful. "This drone missile is much faster than our long-range drones and more powerful. These are all the details about which I am ready for an open discussion," he noted.

Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleksandr Kamyshin later clarified that we are talking about “a completely new class of weapons” – rocket drones. “ It’s a drone and it’s a missile, because in terms of its tactical and technical characteristics, the product falls under both definitions,” he noted, adding that Palyanitsa was used to strike a Russian military facility in the temporarily occupied territory.

Kamyshin reported that developments of the Ukrainian defense industry complex, in particular the latest missiles and drones, are already successfully operating on enemy territory. He confirmed the successful use of the Ukrainian drone missile "Palyanitsa" and stressed that the missile program is under the special control of the state leadership. "I am glad that we have our first Ukrainian developments of this class, which are starting to operate behind enemy lines. And the enemy will study their tactical and technical characteristics upon "arrivals," Kamyshin said on the air of the telethon. The minister also added that domestic producers are already capable of providing the army with a sufficient quantity of high-quality weapons. "A strong country is impossible without a strong army, and a strong country is impossible without a strong defense industry. We see that our defense industry is starting to work," he emphasized.

Also, volunteer and head of the Volunteer Battalion Charitable Foundation Maksim Glushak posted footage of the drone online and reported that the jet-powered "birds" had been successfully tested. From the photo, it can be concluded that the drone's design includes a streamlined body reminiscent of a rocket, as well as curved wings and landing gear for takeoff. The presence of air intakes also suggests that the drone may be equipped with jet propulsion.

The first thing that catches the eye is its unusual design, which differs from previously presented examples. Instead of the delta shape and vertical tail stabilizer, which were described in earlier reports, we see a straight tail with two stabilizers located at an angle. This gives the drone additional stability in flight and, possibly, improves its aerodynamic characteristics. However, one important detail has remained unchanged - the drone is still equipped with a German micro-turbojet engine JetCat P400-PRO. This engine, known for its quality and reliability, provides high flight speed, which makes the "Palyanitsa" an effective tool for a quick attack on enemy targets. Thanks to such power, the drone is able to quickly cover large distances, which complicates its interception and makes it a serious threat to the enemy.

The new Palyanitsa drone missile can gain an advantage over enemy air defense forces due to its speed. This opinion was expressed by Azerbaijani military expert Agil Rustamzade on the Telegram channel. He stated that it is quite difficult to launch such systems into serial production in one year. "Its tests were conducted in January. It is difficult to launch such weapons systems into serial production in less than a year," Rustamzade noted.

In addition, the analyst noted that the new drone's warhead is 50 kilograms, and its range is unlikely to exceed 500 kilometers. It is also noted that the drone-rocket's speed can be up to 500 km/h. "What will this give Ukraine? Ukraine had drones with a similar BZhD. The advantage of this aircraft is its speed. Thanks to which it will be able to more effectively break through air defense and will be less vulnerable to small arms and cannon fire," the analyst noted.

Drone strikes could also prompt Russia to redeploy some of its fighters and attack aircraft to bases. Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks, which could force Russia to move aircraft and air defenses further away from the front. Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, explains, while drone strikes are damaging to Russia, they are not yet strategically significant. "However, the current level of damage to the air bases is something that the Russians cannot simply accept in the long term, as it will eventually become a serious problem for the (air) force," the researcher said.

According to Bronk, drone strikes could also prompt Russia to redeploy some of its fighters and attack aircraft to bases significantly distant from Ukraine. "This has already reduced the number of glider bomb launches, as Russian aircraft are forced to fly further to bases and from bases to the front ," he said.

The increasing number and range of attacks by Ukrainian drones is becoming an increasing problem for Russia. While the Ukrainian drones are no substitute for the long-range missiles Kiev wants permission to use, they do force Russia to think about where it places its aircraft and air defenses, said Douglas Barry, a senior fellow for military aviation and space at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. "The effectiveness of a drone is not just that it hits a target - it has an effect even if it is shot down ," Barry explained.