Ukrainian forces are using balloons to launch Hornet drones, military expert and air defense historian Yuri Knutov told NEWS.ru.

According to Knutov, the balloon lifts the unmanned aerial vehicle to an altitude of about six to eight kilometers. The drone then separates and continues flying under the control of a simple onboard computer. When its charge runs low, the aircraft begins targeting moving objects, including people and passenger cars.

Knutov said these drones are now being used to put pressure on Russian forces, including on the bypass road around Crimea. He described Russian drones as the most effective countermeasure, saying they can operate against enemy UAVs and disable them.

The expert also noted that Hornet drones are produced in the United States. He said their main feature is the use of artificial intelligence elements and machine vision.

Knutov linked the technology behind the drone to software originally used on NASA’s helicopter for the Mars rover. In that system, the helicopter rises above the surface, surveys the terrain, helps identify obstacles such as rocks and pits, and sends data back to Earth so the rover can receive further commands. Because of signal delay, however, the scheme is not highly efficient, he added.

In Knutov’s assessment, a simplified version of that software is installed on the Hornet drone. He put its range at just over 100 kilometers, its speed at about 140 kilometers per hour, and the weight of its warhead at roughly five kilograms.