Ukraine Captures Previously Undocumented Russian Attack Drone: Greater Payload Than Molniya-2, Twin-Engine Fixed-Wing with Wooden Frame
Ukrainian forces have reportedly captured a previously undocumented Russian attack drone featuring a twin-engine fixed-wing design with an open wooden-frame fuselage. The drone carries a TM-62 anti-tank mine as its warhead and reportedly exceeds the payload capacity of the known Molniya-2 attack drone. The find underscores both sides' continued push toward low-cost, mass-producible precision-strike UAVs.
Highlights
- Ukrainian forces captured a previously undocumented Russian twin-engine fixed-wing attack drone with an open wooden-frame fuselage, representing an unknown design not previously recorded.
- The drone is armed with a TM-62 anti-tank mine in its nose section and reportedly carries a larger payload than the existing Molniya-2 attack UAV.
- The Molniya-2 has previously been adapted for fiber-optic-guided strikes, reconnaissance, and as a mothership carrier for small FPV drones.
- Both Russia and Ukraine are deploying low-cost, mass-producible fixed-wing attack drones at scale, reflecting a dominant trend in modern warfare toward high-volume precision strike capability.
- The captured drone's classification as a Molniya-2 variant or an entirely new design remains unconfirmed pending further technical analysis, according to source Serhii 'Flash' Beskrestnov.
Ukrainian forces have reportedly captured a previously undocumented Russian attack drone that has drawn significant attention for its larger payload capacity compared to the known Molniya-2 (Lightning-2) attack UAV.
Airframe Design: Low-Cost, Long-Range Strike Orientation
Based on on-site photographs and source reporting, the drone features a twin-engine fixed-wing configuration designed for long-range strike missions. The fuselage uses an open-frame construction built extensively from wooden components — a design philosophy common to low-cost UAV programs that reduces manufacturing costs and accelerates mass production.
Warhead Configuration: TM-62 Anti-Tank Mine
A TM-62 anti-tank mine is mounted in the drone's nose section, reportedly detonated via a contact fuze or a modified impact fuze. The use of the TM-62 as an air-delivered warhead is not without precedent — Russia's Molniya-2 attack drone has previously been documented carrying the same anti-tank mine.
The Molniya-2's Multi-Role Evolution
The Molniya-2 has previously been adapted for a variety of mission profiles, including:
- Fiber-optic-guided precision strike missions
- Reconnaissance and surveillance
- Serving as a mothership carrier for small FPV drones
The newly captured drone is believed to be either an evolutionary development of the Molniya-2 series or an entirely new independent design; further analysis is required to confirm its classification.
The Battlefield Trend Toward Low-Cost Attack Drones
Both Ukraine and Russia have deployed low-cost fixed-wing attack drones at scale, reflecting the dominant modern battlefield trend toward mass-producible, low-cost precision-strike capability. Design choices such as wooden airframes and simple fuze mechanisms point to an operational logic that prioritizes numerical advantage over individual platform durability.
Source: Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov
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