Ukraine’s FP-1/FP-2 Drones Now Fire Rockets at Russian Interception Crews

A new video circulating online appears to show Ukrainian FP-1 or FP-2 strike drones launching unguided rockets at Russian mobile fire groups attempting to intercept them, marking the first documented use of such weapons on these platforms.

According to Defense Express on May 12, the footage shows a Russian mobile air defense team engaging a Ukrainian long-range drone before the aircraft launches a salvo of unguided aviation rockets toward the position.

The outlet reported that this is the first publicly documented case of Ukrainian FP-1 or FP-2 drones being equipped with unguided rocket systems intended to counter Russian interception teams protecting rear-area infrastructure from deep-strike drone attacks.

Photos published by Russian sources reportedly show fragments of the launch system and the rockets used by the drone. According to Defense Express, the exact type of munitions could not be confirmed because identifying markings were obscured in the released images.

The publication suggested the weapons may be Soviet-designed S-5 57 mm or S-8 80 mm unguided aircraft rockets. Images indicate that each launcher carries four rockets, with two launch pods mounted under the drone’s wings, potentially allowing a total salvo of eight rockets during a single mission.

Such configurations could allow the drones to engage multiple targets or suppress Russian mobile fire groups positioned along expected drone flight paths. These teams are commonly equipped with heavy machine guns mounted on unarmored vehicles and are increasingly used by Russian forces against Ukrainian long-range drones.

The outlet noted that it remains unclear whether FP-1 and FP-2 drones carrying rocket launchers can simultaneously retain their standard strike payloads.

Russian forces have expanded the use of mobile interception groups over the past year as Ukraine increased the scale and range of drone strikes against military facilities, oil infrastructure, and defense industry targets deep inside Russian territory.

According to Defense Express, the appearance of rocket-armed FP-1 and FP-2 drones could complicate Russian interception efforts and reduce the effectiveness of mobile anti-drone teams that currently form part of Russia’s layered defense against Ukrainian deep-strike operations.

Earlier, footage published by Russian sources showed a previously unseen FP-1/FP-2 drone configuration carrying two smaller FPV drones, one of which appeared to feature a Starlink-style antenna. The setup suggested the long-range drone could function as an airborne carrier platform, deploying FPV drones against targets such as air defense systems or interception teams before continuing its own strike mission.

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