Russia Deploys “Molniya” Drone Carrier To Launch FPV Strikes on Kharkiv

Russia attacked the city of Kharkiv with two FPV drones delivered by a “Molniya”-type unmanned aerial vehicle, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov on October 25.

Terekhov said in a Telegram statement that “the UAV of the Molniya type acted as a carrier for two FPV drones.” One of the FPV drones hit the roof of a private house in the Shevchenkivskyi district, damaging the building’s windows, while another struck the facade of a nearby structure.

The carrier drone itself crashed onto the roof of a dormitory in the Kyivskyi district, and its warhead fell nearby without detonating, Terekhov added.

According to Oleg Synehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, emergency services and explosive ordnance teams were deployed to the impact sites.

“Preliminarily, there were no casualties,” Synehubov reported, though five residents sought medical attention due to acute stress reactions—including a 25-year-old man, two women aged 51 and 68, and two teenagers aged 13 and 15.

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The “Molniya” UAV — which translates as “Lightning” — has been increasingly used by Russian forces as a carrier for FPV drones. According to Ukrainian officials, the system was first observed in this role in June 2025, initially carrying one FPV drone.

By mid-October, footage confirmed a modified version capable of transporting two drones, likely achieved by reducing either the warhead size or flight range.

Unlike more advanced “mothership” drones, the “Molniya” platform does not provide signal relay for its FPV payloads, which are operated on separate communication channels.

Earlier, two Ukrainian journalists from the FreeDom TV channel—reporter Aliona Hramova and cameraman Yevhen Karmazin—were killed when a Russian Lancet drone struck their car in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region. Their colleague, Oleksandr Kolychev, was injured and hospitalized, according to the broadcaster.

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