Russian troops test new Molniya drones in Kharkiv region

The head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, Oleh Sinegubov, has said that Russian invaders are actively testing their new Molniya drones near the front line, carrying out strikes in the regions, especially in populated areas near the border. About this he told in an interview with Novosti Live.

Sinegubov stressed that the Ukrainian military has recorded new types of enemy drones, which are apparently still at the testing stage.

We are sure that the enemy continues to test these drones, as the strikes on Kharkiv are not of a mass nature. But there has been a significant increase in the number of attacks using 'Lightnings' on settlements that are in close proximity to the front line and the border," he said.

The OBA head added that several generations of these drones have already been recorded, which confirms the active development and improvement of technologies for more targeted strikes.

"Molniya," a Russian kamikaze drone shaped like an aeroplane, is used to strike not only Ukrainian troop positions but also civilian infrastructure and Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv, Zaporozhye and Kherson, within range. Its low cost and availability of materials allows Russia to establish mass production of such UAVs. At the first stages, they were made of plywood, and later a variant with a plastic body was developed.

The flight range of "Molniya" type drones is from 35 to 50 kilometres, depending on the modification.

Such a drone can carry a heavy warhead and shells of various types. At first, the Russians equipped it with grenades or sapper charges, but later began to arm it with heavier explosives - for example, TM-62 anti-tank mines.

Basic parameters of the Molniya UAV (basic model):

• Length: about 1.5 m
• Weight: about 10 kg
• Combat load: up to 5 kg
• Flight range: up to 35 km
• Speed: 80 km/h
• Flight time: 40 minutes
• Cost: approximately $300

These drones have become a frequent target of the Russian army for strikes in Kharkiv, where they hit civilian targets, residential areas and high-rise buildings, as well as strikes in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. In April 2025, one of these drones hit a Ukrainian Witness film crew vehicle 20 kilometres from the front line.