Ukraine’s Palianytsia missile drone costs less than US$1 million – Minister of Digital Transformation

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development and Minister of Digital Transformation, has said that the price of each Ukrainian-made Palianytsia missile drone is less than US$1 million [Palianytsia is a traditional Ukrainian bread; this word is difficult for Russians to pronounce correctly, so it is used as a shibboleth – ed.].

Source: Mykhailo Fedorov in an interview with the Associated Press

Quote: "I think this (Palianytsia missile-drone - ed.) will be a game changer because we will be able to strike where Russia doesn’t expect it today."

Details: Fedorov refused to specify the new drone’s range as well as current deliveries, citing security concerns, but said he has been involved in projects to develop domestically-made missiles since late 2022.

The article notes that the new weapon was one of Ukraine's long-term goals. One of the specialists involved in the development of a long-range missile told AP that it is "a completely new development, from scratch," which began about 18 months ago.

"This is not an extension of an old Soviet project," the expert said on condition of anonymity in order to preserve the project's secrecy.

He said the missile has a solid-fuel booster that accelerates it, and a jet engine.

The unnamed expert and Fedorov told the newspaper that each missile costs less than $1 million, and the military is turning to the private sector in order to lower production costs even further. "The private market generates solutions incredibly quickly," the minister said.

Fedorov added that this year, private companies became the main suppliers of drones for the Ukrainian army, including those that are now conducting strikes on Russian territory and underwater drones that have repeatedly struck vessels of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

"All types of missiles will be available in Ukraine. If we have our own weapons like this, we will feel more independent and confident," he said, adding that he believes Russia's huge size could also be its vulnerability.

Background: During the recent Independence Day celebrations, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that on 24 August, the Ukrainian army attacked the Russians with a new weapon, the Palianytsia missile drone, for the first time.

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