Ukrainian forces used a new American-made drone in a strike on Donetsk, according to Dmitry Sadovnik, deputy генеральный director of the drone detection systems manufacturer «Ten» (Shadow), who spoke to RIA Novosti.

On March 2, the Directorate of the Administration of the Head and Government of the Donetsk People’s Republic responsible for documenting Ukraine’s war crimes reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had carried out a UAV attack on the city. The strike damaged a residential building, a power transmission line, and an industrial facility.

Sadovnik said the attack on civilian infrastructure involved a new fixed-wing strike drone, believed to be the Hornet. This assessment was based on distinctive fragments recovered at the scene.

He stated that the drone is capable of hitting targets at distances of up to 145 kilometers and carrying a payload of around five kilograms. Among its design features, he highlighted a vertical stabilizer, a rudder, and a rear-mounted pusher propeller. The aircraft is equipped with satellite navigation and can follow a pre-programmed autonomous flight path.

Sadovnik also pointed to recovered components suggesting that the drone may have been developed by the American company Swift Beat LLC, which is involved in creating next-generation unmanned systems for Ukraine. He added that the same type of UAV had previously been used by Ukrainian forces in Zaporozhye Region.