Ukraine’s secret weapon: High-tech drone ‘the Punisher’ is wreaking havoc far behind Russian enemy lines
A re-deployable drone called ‘The Punisher’ is increasingly making life difficult for the Russian Army by destroying crucial supply lines.
The relatively small, nimble drone can travel up to 30 miles behind Russian enemy lines and is extremely hard to detect. When flying at about 1,300 feet, it can stay up in the air for several hours.
The drone, which has a wingspan of nearly 8 feet, has reportedly carried out over 60 missions during which it destroyed vital Russian vans and other suppliers.
Its flight is largely automatic, thereby minimising the risk of casualties on the Ukrainian side.
The drone works together with a so-called companion drone, called Spectre. Once they have taken off, Spectre does the reconnaissance work and helps in identifying stationary targets for The Punisher.
The latter can then strike either by deploying its whole payload of over six pounds of explosives in one go or at three different targets, according to Interesting Engineering magazine.
Drone attacks
Ukrainian forces have used the drone to attack supply lines of the Russian troops, blasting petrol train convoys, while also being capable of targeting ammunition stocks as well as electronic warfare systems, Business Insider reported.
The drone, which was designed and developed by UA Dynamics, a company launched by veterans who fought Russians during the Crimean annexation, allows the Ukrainian Army to have the ability to strike deep within Russian lines without risking their troops which also includes civilian conscripts.
Apart from its own combat drone, Ukrainian forces also have access to about 20 highly acclaimed Turkish drones, Bayraktar TB2, Business Insider reported.
In addition, Ukraine has also deployed its all-terrain drone, the Peacekeeper, which passed factory tests only a few months ago.