Ukraine uses British BAE Systems drones to strike deep inside Russia

Ukraine has been using British drones to strike targets deep inside Russian territory over the past six months.

This was reported by The Times on August 15, citing sources in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

According to the publication, this is the first confirmed case of British-made weapons being used for long-range strikes on Russian territory.

Among the systems being used is the BAE Systems Nyan, a single-use jet-powered loitering munition developed and manufactured by BAE Systems subsidiary Callen-Lenz. According to the manufacturer, the Nyan has a wingspan of 2.9 metres and total production has exceeded 1,000 units. Earlier this year, the drone underwent large-scale trials involving the British Royal Navy and Army during exercises off the coast of England and in Estonia.

The Times also reports that a second drone of an undisclosed type, manufactured by a company whose name is being withheld for security reasons, was used in the operations.

The majority of deep strikes continue to be carried out using Ukrainian drones, but British systems have already demonstrated their effectiveness against high-value targets — a senior source in Ukrainian military circles told The Times. Among the targets hit by British drones are oil refineries in Yaroslavl and Volgograd, facilities near Moscow, and the Russian border city of Belgorod.

The strikes are part of Ukraine’s broader campaign against Russian military and energy infrastructure. On August 15, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian forces had struck the Savaslейka military air base and a Roscosmos facility in the Samara region using domestically produced Flamingo missiles.

Moscow stated that in the first half of 2026 its forces intercepted more than 63,000 Ukrainian drones over Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories. In response to the use of British drones, Russia may intensify its hybrid war against the United Kingdom, anonymous sources told The Times. According to a senior source in defence circles, Moscow is already conducting cyberattacks and espionage against Britain.