Ukraine has commenced serial production of its domestically developed “Peklo” drone-missiles, delivering the first batch of several dozen units to the Ukrainian Defense Forces on Thursday.
President Volodymyr Zelensky participated in the handover ceremony, underscoring the importance of indigenous military innovation.
“It is crucial that our defenders receive modern weaponry made in Ukraine. The next step is to scale up production and deployment,” Zelensky stated.
The “Peklo” (Hell) drone-missile represents a new class of weaponry entirely developed and produced in Ukraine. Herman Smetanin, Ukraine’s Minister for Strategic Industries, highlighted the rapid pace of its development.
“This is the result of ingenuity and hard work by Ukrainian arms manufacturers. The ‘Peklo’ is the first of its kind, created from scratch within a year, and has already proven itself in combat,” Smetanin said.
According to official specifications, the “Peklo” drone-missile can reach speeds of 700 kilometers per hour and has an operational range of 700 kilometers. Efforts are ongoing to enhance the system’s resistance to electronic warfare, improve operational characteristics, and increase targeting precision. Additionally, new warhead variants are under development to expand the range of potential targets.
Defense Express, a Ukrainian defense publication, noted that while officially categorized as a “drone-missile,” the “Peklo” more closely resembles a compact cruise missile. Based on available imagery, the missile’s length and wingspan are estimated at approximately two meters. Its warhead is believed to weigh no more than 50 kilograms, a limitation dictated by its dimensions. Comparisons have been drawn to the Barracuda system by Anduril, a similarly designed weapon.
Defense analysts emphasize the trade-offs in payload and range. Increasing the warhead weight could significantly reduce the missile’s operational range, requiring careful balancing to optimize its effectiveness in various combat scenarios.
The introduction of the “Peklo” drone-missile marks a milestone in Ukraine’s defense capabilities, showcasing its ability to innovate and adapt under the pressures of an ongoing war.