Overview
- Both militaries are increasingly using medium-range drones for strike missions against targets roughly 100–200 kilometers from the front.
- A Ukrainian commander operating in the Kharkiv region reports the trend has accelerated there, noting five such drones overhead in a single day.
- An informal 10‑kilometer‑per‑side kill zone has curtailed movement near the line, with quadcopters and ground robots sustaining front positions.
- Medium-range aircraft typically carry 5–10 kilograms of explosives, enabling attacks on assets moved beyond short-range FPV reach.
- Short-, medium-, and long-range systems now operate in layers, as Russian Shahed attacks and Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure continue, and Ukrainian electronic-warfare units say their roles remain steady.