WSJ: Ukraine is poised to create serious problems for Russia

Ukraine’s defense industry is rapidly extending the reach of its drones, opening up a growing share of Russian territory to attack, The Wall Street Journal reported. Oleh Krot, founder and chief executive of Culver Aerospace, said the range of the company’s Mammoth drone should increase to 4,800 kilometers by next year.

Krot said Ukraine’s position had changed sharply in two years. “Two years ago, Russia’s advantage was its vast territory, deep into which we could not penetrate. Now Ukrainian weapons are only beginning to reveal their true potential, which they will reach in the next few years,” he told the newspaper.

The report described Ukrainian companies as increasing the range, speed and payload capacity of their drones. It said Ukraine began developing long-range weapons after most Western allies declined to provide such missiles, citing fears that the conflict with Russia could escalate.

The article pointed to the An-196 Liutyi drone, developed by Ukroboronprom, which struck a Russian oil refinery in September 2023 about 350 kilometers from Ukrainian-controlled territory. The drone initially had a range of about 1,000 kilometers and carried roughly 20 kilograms. Its range has since exceeded 2,000 kilometers, while its payload has reached 34 kilograms.

Rochan Consulting, a Polish military consultancy, recorded four Ukrainian drone and missile strikes against important Russian infrastructure in 2023. The figure rose to about 178 in 2025 and roughly 285 from the start of this year through Aug. 23.

Culver Aerospace’s Sichen drone has reportedly been used against oil refineries near St. Petersburg and Moscow. Krot said the company plans to introduce turbojet engines in its drones by the end of this year, allowing them to fly at nearly the speed of sound. Fire Point plans to produce 300 FP-1 drones per day, about eight times last year’s rate, while Culver Aerospace plans to build 14,000 drones this year.

The report said Russia’s air defenses face increasing difficulty intercepting the growing number of Ukrainian drones. Russia’s Defense Ministry reported shooting down 110 drones over Russia and occupied Crimea in January 2024, compared with 13,338 in July this year, or about 430 per day. Ukraine is also preparing to unveil its first ballistic missile from Fire Point this autumn, although it does not currently produce weapons of that type.

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Two years ago, Russia’s advantage was its vast territory, deep into which we could not penetrate. Now Ukrainian weapons are only beginning to reveal their true potential, which they will reach in the next few years.