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Ukraine Shoots Down Rare $200,000 Russian Spy Drone Used for Battlefield Recon, Video
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukrainian air defense forces have shot down a rare Russian Granat-4 reconnaissance drone, a UAV capable of operating more than 100 kilometers behind the front line, according to Ukraine’s 1129th Air Defense Missile Regiment on March 10.
The unit reported that the drone, valued at over $200,000, was destroyed during an interception operation conducted by its operators.
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“Enemy reconnaissance UAV powered by an internal combustion engine. It operates at a range of 100–120 kilometers. It can climb high, up to 4,000 meters. And it’s quite expensive—more than $200,000,” the regiment said in a statement.
According to the unit, this marks the first confirmed destruction of a Granat-4 reconnaissance drone by operators of the 1129th Air Defense Regiment.
$200,000 Granat-4 shot down by Wild Hornets anti-aircraft drones 🔥
— Wild Hornets (@wilendhornets) March 10, 2026
This is the first confirmed shootdown of a Granat-4 reconnaissance UAV by operators of the 1129th Air Defense Regiment.
It is one of the safest drones, similar to the Orlan-30, which runs on an internal… pic.twitter.com/epaiXroJ5U
The drone was reportedly intercepted using Wild Hornets anti-aircraft drones, a growing category of interceptor UAVs designed specifically to hunt and destroy enemy aerial targets.
The Granat-4 UAV system is produced by the Russian company Izhmash – Unmanned Systems and is used primarily for battlefield reconnaissance and surveillance missions.
The drone can conduct aerial reconnaissance for military units, radio intelligence operations to locate communication signals, patrol flights, and search-and-rescue missions.
Ukrainian defenders captured Russian drone "Granat-4" in Ukraine
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) November 9, 2022
Defenders say that the device could not even reach their positions and fell in the gray zone.
📷NV pic.twitter.com/s3t8ezAyun
Its payload typically includes electro-optical and infrared cameras, allowing operators to observe targets both during the day and at night. Some variants can also carry aerial photography equipment or electronic warfare modules.
The Granat-4 system is deployed using a truck-based control and launch complex, typically mounted on a KamAZ vehicle with a van-style command module.
A standard Granat-4 unit consists of two aircraft and a ground control station, operated by a crew of four personnel.
The drone itself measures 2.6 meters in length with a wingspan of about 3.2 meters and has a maximum takeoff weight of around 30 kilograms.
Unlike many small drones, the Granat-4 does not use traditional landing gear. It is launched using a catapult system and lands by parachute, which also serves as an emergency recovery mechanism.
The entire system can reportedly be deployed in less than 15 minutes.
Powered by a single piston engine, the drone can remain airborne for up to six hours and reach speeds of up to 140 km/h.
It is designed to operate in a wide range of environmental conditions, with an operational temperature range from –30°C to +40°C.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces destroyed a previously undocumented version of Russia’s Pantsir-S1 (SA-22 Greyhound) air defense system.
The vehicle was mounted on an uncommon heavy Belarusian-made MZKT-7930 chassis, unlike the standard Pantsir-S1, which is most commonly mounted on the 8×8 KamAZ-6560 truck chassis, while less frequently seen variants have appeared on the BAZ-6309 platform or export configurations using the MAN SX45 vehicle.
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-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
