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Russia Unveils AI War Drone—Ukraine Destroys It in One of Its First Flights, Video
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukrainian forces have destroyed a newly developed Russian strike drone known as the “Klin ,” which Moscow had promoted as an artificial-intelligence-enabled, Shahed-type unmanned system, according to Ukraine’s 118th Separate Mechanized Brigade on February 10.
The drone was intercepted and eliminated during one of its first combat sorties after entering the brigade’s area of responsibility.
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Ukrainian troops neutralized the system less than four months after its official unveiling in October 2025.
Russian developers had claimed the drone could autonomously detect and strike targets at distances of up to 120 kilometers. In its initial real-world use, however, the aircraft was quickly shot down by Ukrainian defenders.
Video of the interception released by the 118th brigade shows the moment the AI-guided loitering munition was destroyed.
“UAV interceptors of the 118th Separate Mechanized Brigade were the first to eliminate a new ‘Shahed-like’ strike drone from the Russian defense industry with artificial intelligence called ‘Klin,’” the unit said in a statement.
According to the military, this marks the first confirmed downing of the system, introduced by Russia only months earlier. The drone is estimated to cost about $35,000 and was reportedly destroyed by a Ukrainian interceptor drone known as the “General Chereshnya AIR.”
Published specifications indicate the Klin has a takeoff weight of 13.5 kilograms and a flight speed ranging from 108 to 300 kilometers per hour. It features a wingspan of 1.9 meters, can operate at altitudes of up to 2 kilometers, and carries a warhead weighing up to 5 kilograms, with options for either shaped-charge or high-explosive payloads.
Earlier, a video confirmed that Russian forces were systematically deploying first-person view (FPV) drones directly from larger Gerbera-type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), signaling a shift in Russia’s drone warfare tactics.
