The Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the downing of another Russian Orion drone using an interceptor drone, marking the second time this type of aircraft has been destroyed in this way.
The operation was carried out by military personnel from the Prybultsi unit, part of the 115th Independent Mechanized Brigade, with support from teams participating in the Dronefall project, funded by the Come Back Alive Foundation.
The Orion is a large unmanned aerial vehicle developed for reconnaissance and attack missions. The platform can carry up to 200 kilograms of payload, operate within a radius of up to 250 kilometers, remain airborne for around 30 hours, and reach altitudes of nearly 8,000 meters, characteristics that make it an important asset for Russian forces.
According to information released by the Ukrainian military, the Orion is also used as a launch platform for the S8000 Banderol cruise missile. The weapon can reach maximum speeds of between 620 and 650 km/h, maintain a cruising speed of up to 560 km/h, and has an estimated range of approximately 500 kilometers thanks to its Chinese-made turbojet engine.
The missile is also equipped with a warhead weighing more than 114 kilograms, containing nearly 50 kilograms of explosives. Ukraine highlighted that this is not the first time it has managed to neutralize an Orion: last year, operators from the Alpha Special Operations Center, linked to the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), also intercepted one of these drones during air defense operations.
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Source: Militarnyi | Photos: Facebook – 115ombr | Wikimedia. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
