Ukraine is building a new "kill zone" for Russia – how middle-range strike drones could change the course of the war
Kyiv • UNN
The AFU are deploying Hornet and MORRIGAN drones to destroy Russian logistics at distances of up to 150 km. Mass production of these systems will create a kill zone in the enemy's rear.
Ukrainian Defense Forces are gradually changing the very logic of the war at the front. While a year ago the main task was to deter Russian assaults on the line of contact, now more and more strikes are being shifted into the operational depth of the occupied territories; Ukrainian drones are already hunting for the logistics of the Russian army in the areas of Donetsk, Mariupol, Berdyansk, and even on the key Taganrog – Dzhankoy highway, reports UNN.
In fact, Ukraine is trying to create a new "kill zone" for the Russians – a territory where any movement of equipment, fuel, or personnel becomes deadly. And if this system is scaled up, it is capable of not only disrupting Russian offensive plans but also creating the prerequisites for a future counteroffensive.
The war is entering a new phase
Recent months have shown an important shift. Ukrainian drones are no longer working only at a tactical depth of 10–20 kilometers, but much further – at distances of 80, 120, and even over 150 kilometers from the front line. Russian trucks, fuel tankers, air defense systems, warehouses, and military columns are coming under fire.
The R-280 "Novorossiya" highway, which is effectively the main logistical artery between Russia, the occupied south of Ukraine, and Crimea, is becoming particularly painful for the occupiers. Until recently, Russian troops considered these routes relatively safe; now, even distant rear roads are gradually turning into a territory of constant risk.
Russian Z-channels are already openly complaining about the loss of initiative in the "small sky" and the increasing range of Ukrainian strikes.
Hornet and MORRIGAN - new Ukrainian weapons
A key role in these strikes is played not by classic FPV drones, but by new middle-strike systems – medium-range drones. Recently, the 412th Nemesis Brigade of the AFU Unmanned Systems Forces first demonstrated the MORRIGAN drone, which is already operating along the routes between Mariupol and Crimea.
Such systems are created specifically for hitting targets in operational depth – far beyond the range of conventional FPVs. Military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko, in a comment to UNN, explained that it is precisely these drones that now allow Ukraine to reach Russian logistics in the occupied territories.
"This is exactly the Hornet. FPV drones don't fly that far. Even FPVs on fiber optics currently have a maximum range of about 40–50 kilometers. They don't work at 80 or 120 kilometers. Therefore, all these strikes on Mariupol and Donetsk – that's exactly the Hornet,"
According to him, Ukraine is simultaneously developing its own analogues of such systems, and the middle-strike direction is becoming one of the key ones for the entire war.
Thousands of drones are needed for a real "kill zone"
However, individual successful strikes do not yet mean the complete paralysis of Russian logistics. Kovalenko emphasizes that to create a full-fledged "kill zone" over the occupied territories, completely different scales of production and drone application are required.
"For this, we need more of these assets. They need to be used at least on the scale that the Russians are currently using in certain directions. If we talk about the entire line of contact, we are no longer talking about hundreds. It could be thousands of air drones daily, maybe even more,"
In fact, it is about establishing constant aerial control over the enemy's key routes.
In such a situation, the Russian army faces the main problem of modern warfare – the impossibility of safely moving reserves, ammunition, and fuel.
Why strikes on logistics are more important than assaults
Today, the war increasingly resembles a struggle of resource exhaustion. Russia still has an advantage in manpower and artillery, but even a large army cannot effectively attack without a stable supply.
That is why Ukraine is now increasingly hitting roads, bridges, fuel routes, and rear support rather than trenches. This is a much cheaper and more effective way to weaken the enemy.
A strike on a truck with ammunition or a fuel tanker can disrupt an entire assault operation on a specific sector of the front. In addition, the Russian army is forced to spend more and more resources on protecting the rear, redeploying air defenses, and dispersing warehouses.
Is a counteroffensive possible?
The question of a major Ukrainian counteroffensive remains complex; the realities of the front in 2026 are very different from 2022 or even 2023. The density of drones, minefields, and reconnaissance has made classic large-scale breakthroughs much more difficult.
But it is middle-strike drones that can create the conditions for local breakthroughs. If Ukrainian forces manage to systematically paralyze the occupiers' logistics in the south, Russian troops could find themselves in a very dangerous position.
"They have nowhere to retreat except to Crimea or the territory of Russia. And Crimea is an even more cramped territory. Maneuver is generally limited there. It's 20,000 square kilometers where all positional areas are predictable. For them, this is a much more difficult situation,"
That is why the strikes on the Taganrog – Dzhankoy highway are of strategic importance. These are not just attacks on individual trucks. This is an attempt to gradually "cut off" the occupation group from supplies.
Is Ukraine capable of turning the tide of the war?
Ukraine's main problem now is not technology, but scale. The Ukrainian military has already proven that they are capable of creating modern unmanned systems and using them effectively, but a real turning point requires mass production.
In fact, the war is entering a phase of industrial drone confrontation. Whoever scales production faster, adapts technology, and trains operators will gain the advantage. And although it is too early to talk about a rapid collapse of the Russian front, Ukraine is gradually creating a new reality for the Russian army, where even the deep rear is no longer safe.