Ukraine Builds Its Own Alternative to Chinese Mavic Drones—Meet the New Slavic

Ukrainian defense technology company Vyriy Industries has unveiled Slavic, a new tactical reconnaissance drone developed as a domestically produced alternative to Chinese quadcopters, the company told Militarnyi on September 28.

The drone was designed with a control system similar to the DJI Mavic platform, allowing operators already familiar with such drones to transition to Slavic without extensive retraining. Automated functions include altitude and position hold, automatic return, and landing.

Slavic is powered by a 40,000 mAh solid-state battery, providing a flight endurance of up to 1.5 hours. Its tactical operating range reaches 30 kilometers, allowing crews to conduct frontline reconnaissance while remaining farther from the line of contact.

“The main task now is to provide the military with a specialized platform that flies longer and farther, allowing crews to operate farther from the line of contact. That is precisely why we began developing Slavic,” said Oleksii Babenko, founder and CEO of Vyriy Industries, according to Militarnyi.

The drone can navigate without access to satellite signals by using an optical positioning system. Its communications suite operates across a wide frequency range, allowing crews to choose less congested channels and maintain stable links in difficult terrain.

For reconnaissance missions, Slavic is equipped with a 2K daytime digital camera with a resolution of 2560 × 1440, mounted on a three-axis stabilized gimbal. The camera provides 10x optical zoom and up to 30x hybrid zoom.

According to the company, the system is delivered ready for deployment and does not require additional modifications in the field. Its standard controller supports integration with Ukraine’s DELTA and Kropyva situational awareness systems, while video feeds can be transmitted through the VEZHA application.

Read more

Category

Defense Tech

How Ukraine’s New SPECTR AI Platform Aims to Outsmart Russian Forces

Sep 25, 2026 21:21

Slavic has already undergone initial combat testing with seven units of Ukraine’s Defense Forces. Vyriy Industries said it collected feedback from military crews to further refine the platform, Militarnyi reported.

The unveiling comes as Ukrainian manufacturers continue to expand the range of domestically produced unmanned systems available to the military. Earlier in September, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense approved the Ukrainian-made Steppe Wind strike unmanned aerial system for military use, clearing it for procurement and deployment by Defense Forces units.

Truth is Under Attack

We report the war as it unfolds directly from the people and places most affected by it. Your support helps us bring these stories to the world.

SUPPORT