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Russia Develops AI-Powered Mini Shahed Drone “Tyuvik” for Frontline Use

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Lucile Brizard
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Russia Develops AI-Powered Mini Shahed Drone “Tyuvik” for Frontline Use
An Iranian-made Shahed-136 suicide drone flies over Kermanshah, Iran, on March 7, 2024, shortly before Iran launched over 100 drones and ballistic missiles on April 13, 2024. (Source: Getty Images)

Russia has developed a compact version of its Shahed suicide drones, designed for use directly on the front lines, according to the Russian Telegram channel AeroKot. The new drone, created by the Stratym design bureau, is named “Tyuvik.”

The developers report that the “Tyuvik” is equipped with onboard systems powered by artificial intelligence algorithms, enabling it to resist electronic warfare countermeasures.

The drone presumably relies on a visual navigation system, where its onboard computer compares images from an optical module with a pre-loaded digital terrain reference, allowing it to navigate even under GPS jamming conditions.

The “Tyuvik” has reportedly been tested in combat zones and entered mass production. It has a flight range of up to 30 kilometers, a flight duration of approximately 25 minutes, a maximum speed of 180 kilometers per hour, and carries a payload of about two kilograms. Launch is performed via a catapult.

Separately, Ukrainian Defense Forces have deployed the Sting interceptor drone to counter Russian-Iranian Shahed strike drones. Video footage released shows the Sting, equipped with a thermal imaging camera, intercepting a Shahed drone from below at high altitude, above the cloud layer.

This marks the first confirmed use of the Sting specifically against Shahed drones.

The video quality allows for clear identification of the target as a Shahed, distinguished by characteristic wingtip shapes and the presence of Pitot tubes on each wingtip—features absent in previous drone imitators like the Gerbera, which Ukrainian forces have intercepted before.

Earlier on May 19, US President Donald Trump announced that his two-hour phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin went “very well” and that Russia and Ukraine would begin negotiations toward a ceasefire and an end to the war.

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