Ukrainian combat drones capable of flying at speed of sound may strike Siberia

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) will be able to attack targets in Russia, including in Siberia, an unnamed official told The Financial Times.

According to the official, who is believed to be an adviser for defence issues in Kyiv, drone attacks will not give Ukraine an opportunity to win the conflict, but they may affect operations to exert influence on the Russian territory, even though Western countries do not support such actions.

The source said that the drones that he was talking about were part of a joint initiative between the government and the private sector. The drones that were used in the attack on Russia were not products of the Ukrainian defence industry. They were not upgraded version of Soviet-era UAVs either, the source added.

A Ukrainian engineer who designs drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that the drones that attacked Russian airfields could fly at speeds close to the speed of sound. However, this is time consuming production, the newspaper wrote.

Russian air defence systems intercepted Ukraine's UAVs that were flying at low altitudes in Ryazan and Saratov regions. The drones attacked airfields of long-range aviation in Dyagilevo and Engels. Three military men were killed and four others were injured. The Russian forces launched another massive rocket attack at Ukraine's infrastructure in return.