Ukraine’s mysterious "Palyanytsya" is targeting Russian air bases

Mysterious new Ukrainian drone missile "Palyanytsya" is targeting the Russian Air Force. As Russia ramps up its drone and long-range missile attacks, Ukraine is responding in kind, Forbes reports.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the first combat use of a new Ukrainian long-range weapon called “Palyanitsya”, which he called a "missile drone."

Zelensky said the new weapons would protect Ukraine by hitting Russian aircraft on the ground before they could take off to launch missiles. It’s an approach called “killing the archer, not the arrow.” It has been widely promoted in Ukraine and has had some success. Satellite images show that a drone strike on August 22 on the Marynivka air base destroyed or damaged several bombers.

“Palyanitsya” is a Ukrainian dish, a type of bread traditionally baked over a fire rather than in an oven. It symbolizes Ukrainian identity in the same way that apple pie symbolizes America. It is also difficult for non-natives to pronounce correctly, and was used as a test to identify Russian saboteurs in the early stages of the war.

In the name, the developers emphasized that this is a 100% Ukrainian weapon of local production, which, unlike the ATACMS, Storm Shadow and other missiles supplied by allies, can hit targets inside Russia without restrictions and requests for permission.

A video accompanying Zelensky's statement showed that “Palyanitsya” could reach more than 20 Russian air bases, meaning at least 600 km. That's shorter than some of Ukraine's existing long-range drones, some of which can strike at more than 1,600 km.

Ukraine has a thriving defense sector of small companies that produce a surprising variety of attack drones, but “Palyanitsya” seems to be built for a specific niche. This has sparked various discussions about what constitutes a missile. Ukraine's Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin told the Kyiv Post that the new weapon is "both a drone and a missile." The problem is that there are no clear definitions.

Many of Ukraine’s long-range strikes have focused on oil and gas storage facilities and refineries. When attacking this type of target, a drone flying at 1,600 km/h is as effective as a ballistic missile approaching at Mach 5: the target is stationary and cannot escape. Aircraft bases are different in that, despite some static features such as fuel and ammunition storage, the aircraft themselves can be quickly redeployed when needed.