Ukraine strikes control station for rare Orion drone linked to Russia's Banderol missile
Ukrainian forces hit a Shahed storage and launch site, a rare Orion drone control station, and drone relay points in occupied Crimea and Kherson Oblast.
Ukraine's armed forces carried out a series of strikes on Russian military infrastructure in occupied Crimea and the occupied part of Kherson Oblast. Several targets tied to Russia's drone operations were affected.
Among the sites hit was a storage and launch location for Shahed-type strike drones, along with drone signal relay points that maintain communication between operators and airborne unmanned aircraft.
Control station for a rare Orion drone
One of the targets was a ground-control station used for the rare Orion reconnaissance and strike drone. This drone type is linked to the ability to launch Russia's Banderol guided missile. According to reports, the missile can reach speeds of up to 650 km/h and carries a 114-kilogram warhead.
Damaging or destroying the control station could hamper operators' ability to manage the drone's flight and use it in future operations, since without a functioning communication point, guiding the aircraft and directing it toward targets becomes more difficult.
The strike also targeted relay infrastructure that allows Russian forces to maintain contact with drones over greater distances from their launch sites. Disabling such nodes could reduce the operational range and effectiveness of drones in the region.
Occupied Crimea and Kherson Oblast host part of the drone and long-range weapons infrastructure that Russian forces use against Ukrainian territory.
