(Dan Tri) – A new Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) model named UJ-25 Skyline appears to have been put into use on the front line, demonstrating a step forward in Kiev’s unmanned capabilities.
The wreckage of the UJ-25 Skyline UAV crashing into the roof of a house in Berdyansk, Zaporizhia province in eastern Ukraine (Photo: X/War Zone).
Images and videos of the UJ-25 crashing into the roof of a house in the city of Berdyansk – currently controlled by Russia in the eastern Zaporizhia province of Ukraine – appeared on December 22.
The target of the above UAV is unknown and the warhead it was capable of carrying did not explode.
The UJ-25 first appeared in a video of Mr. Mykhailo Fedorov interviewing CNN in September about the UAV war in Ukraine.
The September interview did not provide detailed information about the UJ-25 model.
But War Zone stated that the design of the UJ-25 is clearly derived from Ukrjet’s UJ-23 Topaz model, a UAV model specifically used for training purposes.
It is unclear how the UJ-25’s function differs from the UJ-23.
The UJ-25 that appeared in the background of Mr. Fedorov’s interview also had canards on the front end of the UAV body.
Overall comparison of models UJ-23 (below) and UJ-25 (Photo: X/@bayraktar_1love)
UJ-23 and UJ-25 are also similar in size.
The UJ-23’s manufacturer, Ukrjet, does not list the UJ-25 on its public website.
As a training UAV, the UJ-23 Topaz model is equipped with a parachute for easy retrieval and reuse.
If it has similar capabilities to the UJ-23, the UJ-25 could have a one-way combat range of nearly 800km, covering all areas of Ukraine currently controlled by Russia and most of Russian territory, including the capital.
The overall design gives the UJ-25 potential as a decoy UAV, especially if it is equipped with additional active electronic warfare capabilities.
Regardless of the configuration of the UJ-25, the most important thing about this UAV model is still the jet propulsion engine, which will allow the UJ-25 to reach the target faster.
The UJ-25’s speed, combined with its relatively small size and stealth characteristics, will make it more difficult for opponents to detect, track and intercept.
The UJ-25 is not the only long-range suicide UAV model that Ukraine has recently developed and equipped, according to War Zone.
Ukrainian forces this week also began receiving AQ 400 Scythe models.
Ukraine recently said it wants to buy more than 11,000 medium- and long-range attack drones next year.