Ukraine's UAV 'trump card' challenges Russia's energy infrastructure
Accounting for 80% of attacks on Russian energy facilities, Liutyi unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have gone beyond their original role as cheap guerrilla weapons to become a potential factor helping Ukraine create a new breakthrough in responding to Moscow.
The Liutyi UAV emerged from Ukraine’s urgent need to create a cost-effective means of striking deep into the Russian rear, given the limited supply of cruise missiles. Constructed of fiberglass reinforced with metal mesh, the UAV combines modularity with aerodynamic performance, ensuring long range and payload flexibility.
Unlike small suicide UAVs, Liutyi is designed to be larger, carry a warhead of about 50 - 75kg and has a longer flight range, with an effective operating range of up to 1,000km from the Ukrainian border. The combined INS (inertial navigation)/GNSS (global positioning satellite) navigation system is even said to support target identification using computer vision.
What makes Liutyi stand out is not just its destructive power, but its ability to be mass-produced. As a weapon is multiplied at decreasing cost, it moves from a supplementary tool to the “backbone” of an operation. It is this process that transforms Liutyi from a stopgap solution to a system that can be maintained in the arsenal for the long term.
Potential on the front line
According to many independent statistics, Liutyi UAVs carried out up to 80% of Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries and some other strategic targets in Russian territory. This ratio reflects the trend of choosing widely deployed weapons when a UAV type proves effective at a moderate cost.
In June 2024, Kiev forces reportedly used Liutyi to attack Russia’s Mozdok air base in North Ossetia, which has Tu-22M3 bombers and MiG-31 interceptors. In March this year, the same UAV was also used to attack a gas pipeline control station in the Saratov region, located 600km deep inside Russian territory, causing major impacts on the country’s energy supply.
Last July, two Liutyi aircraft were recorded penetrating 1,400km deep into Russian territory to attack the Kupol Electromechanical Plant in Lzhevsk, the main production site of the Tor-M air defense system and Harpiya UAV.
Although not decisive for all outcomes on the front line, the above events show the replacement of Liutyi's function, from just support, this UAV has become the main choice for deep attacks, forcing the enemy to develop specialized interception and electronic warfare measures to respond.
According to experts, a weapon that dominates the market share in a given mission segment will have two effects: high short-term effectiveness, but at the same time it will also accelerate the opponent's adaptation process. Therefore, the advantage will only be sustainable if it goes hand in hand with technical improvements and production capacity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced plans to produce at least 30,000 long-range UAVs by 2025, funded by the country's government budget and international contributions.
Ukraine is using Liutyi not only singly to hit high-value targets, but also in clusters to saturate Russian air defenses. In many cases, the UAV is also coordinated with electronic warfare solutions to jam radars or accompanied by reconnaissance UAVs to adjust flight paths in real time.
This “multi-layered” tactic makes Liutyi a flexible combat tool. Although the loss rate when encountering dense air defense networks is significant, they are still acceptable because the price of a UAV is much cheaper than a cruise missile, while the probability of causing damage is not too far behind.
Importantly, the Liutyi is integrated into the entire operational chain, from intelligence gathering, target data processing to maintenance and resupply. If one link in the chain is disrupted, the UAV’s effectiveness will be significantly reduced. Therefore, the strategic value of the Liutyi lies not in the device itself, but in its ability to seamlessly integrate into modern operational infrastructure.
Multidimensional perspective
Liutyi is currently one of the UAVs deployed most by Ukraine in attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, but the reality on the battlefield clearly shows its limits. Russia is strengthening its multi-layered air defense network, combining Pantsir-S and S-400 air defense systems with electronic warfare.
In July 2025, in a series of attacks on the Tatarstan region, many Liutyi UAVs were shot down before reaching their targets, forcing Ukraine to mobilize dozens to ensure penetration.
The cost-effectiveness problem is therefore increasingly acute. If many UAVs have to be consumed to hit a target, the initial economic advantage will decrease.
Another weakness lies in the supply chain. While Ukraine has boosted domestic production, many key components, such as engines and navigation chips, still have to be imported. Russia’s attempt to squeeze supply lines through intermediaries is a real risk, especially as the number of UAVs deployed increases. This makes the industrial front equally vital.
Observers say that to maintain its strategic position, Ukraine needs to combine technical improvements such as increased anti-jamming capabilities, smarter navigation with tactical innovation, avoiding dependence on a single attack model. Liutyi is not a “universal weapon”, but with its main role on the front line, this UAV is becoming a factor that can create a new breakthrough.
