The Russian corporation Rostec presented a new version of the Lightning 13 attack drone during the National Security Belarus-2026 exhibition, reinforcing the country’s strategy to expand exports of its unmanned systems under the “Lightning” brand.
The model is part of the Molniya drone family, already used in military operations in Ukraine.
The Lightning 13 was designed as a lightweight, low-cost unmanned aircraft, equipped with four electric motors, a top speed of up to 120 km/h and an operational range of around 50 km. With the ability to carry up to 13 kg of payload, the system also includes variants intended for reconnaissance, monitoring and emergency response, although its main use is clearly focused on military applications.
The development of the system is linked to the company Atlant Aero, responsible for producing the drones with simple and inexpensive materials such as foam, plywood and plastics. Launch can be carried out by catapult or from elevated positions, and control follows the FPV standard, in which the operator uses goggles to guide the drone based on the image transmitted by the front camera.
Initially mentioned in 2024, the use of the Molniya in combat began in the Kharkiv region and expanded throughout 2025 to other areas of the front line, such as Sumy, Kherson and Donetsk. With accelerated production and reduced costs — estimated at around US$1,600 per unit — the system exemplifies the recent shift in military strategies, which prioritize cheap, mass-produced and easily adaptable drones instead of sophisticated, high-cost platforms.
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Source: Militarnyi | Photo: X @warsurv | Rostec | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
