Russia Can’t Match Ukraine’s Heavy Drone Bombers, So It Repairs Captured VAMPIREs

Russia’s inability to mass-produce its own heavy bomber drones has reportedly pushed its forces to build an improvised repair network for captured Ukrainian VAMPIRE drones, according to Canadian OSINT analyst Roy, who identified a Russian catalog of 3D-printed replacement parts for the system on May 19.

The VAMPIRE, produced by Ukraine’s SkyFall, has become one of the most recognizable heavy bomber drones on the battlefield.

Russian troops often refer to this class of Ukrainian drones as “Baba Yaga ,” a nickname that has become associated with night attacks and heavy munition drops.

For Russian forces, captured VAMPIREs are considered especially valuable because they provide a capability Moscow has struggled to reproduce at scale: delivering heavy munitions by drone over significant distances.

According to the report, Russia’s improvised spare-parts industry for captured VAMPIRE drones began expanding in 2024, as its own defense industry failed to supply enough heavy multicopter platforms for frontline units.

Russian workshops are reportedly working on restoring flight stability, modifying software algorithms, repairing navigation and control channels, and replacing damaged components with 3D-printed parts.

The importance of captured Ukrainian systems is also reflected in Russian state media coverage. On May 5, Russian state media RIA Novosti published a report claiming that captured “Baba Yaga” hexacopters were being used in the Sumy region to deliver supplies to Russian frontline positions.

Russian troops have also claimed in domestic media that more than 20 captured heavy drones of the “Baba Yaga” type are being used near Kherson.

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Category

War in Ukraine

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For Ukraine, the VAMPIRE heavy bomber drone became one of the most effective strike tools of 2025. According to the available data, these bomber drones carried out more than 2.5 million combat missions.

The VAMPIRE can carry a payload of up to 15 kilograms over distances of several dozen kilometers.

Ukrainian heavy bomber drones have gained a near-legendary reputation among Russian troops, who repeatedly describe them as one of the most frightening aerial threats they face, especially during night operations.

Earlier, Russia acknowledged that it is lagging behind Ukraine in the field of heavy unmanned aerial vehicles, a gap that Moscow now says it is working to close.

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