Ukraine’s ‘Beaver’ long-range drone could be behind Moscow attack

Newsweek, citing open-source intelligence, reports that Ukrainian ‘Beaver’ drones may be behind the recent attacks on Moscow, which the Kremlin blames on Kyiv.

Ukraine rarely acknowledges formal responsibility for drone strikes on Russian territory, but Ukrainian officials will occasionally mention them on social media. In his nighttime speech on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that "gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia," and that this was "an inevitable, natural, and absolutely fair process."

Little is known about the ‘Beaver’, but experts have learned what they can from footage that appears to show it heading for Moscow.

"They are broadly similar to Iranian-made Shahed drones. Also known as Geran-2 one-way attack drones, these have frequently been used by Russia to target Ukraine, according to Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow with the London-based Royal United Services Institute think tank," News Week writes. 

According to published photographs and videos, the drones deployed against Moscow appear to be comparable in weight and size to Shaheds, with a little larger wingspan.

The ‘Beaver’ appears to have a modest petrol engine, but it is expected to have a range of more than 1,000 kilometers, or roughly 620 miles.

The ‘Beaver’ is described as a canard-type aircraft, with a tiny forewing front of its main wing, giving it a distinctive shape. It flies quite slowly and steadily, with an obvious emphasis on range. 

"Similar drones, or at least the constituent parts of the Beaver design, have been around for years, although there is no indication that the Beaver in the form spotted over Moscow was used before the start of all-out war in Ukraine in February 2022," the publication writes. 

This type of unmanned aerial vehicle has also not been seen in other parts of the war, according to Akshara Parakala, lead aviation analyst at the Janes defense intelligence organization. 

Experts believe it has an internal combustion engine based on the footage currently available. According to Wright, it has a propeller and an undercarriage and is launched into the air from the tarmac.

"Drones similar to the "Beaver" typically operate at altitudes of around 18,000 feet, Parakala said, citing Janes's research."

What is less known is how effectively ‘Beaver’ drones can deal with navigation jamming, which the Shahed is skilled at. According to Bronk, the Iranian-designed unmanned aerial vehicles use many forms of navigation, making jamming or spoofing less effective.

Bronk said it's difficult to know how successfully ‘Beaver’ drones handle the vast electronic warfare defenses set up in and around Moscow.

The Kremlin announced early Sunday that three Ukrainian drones had targeted Moscow. According to the ministry, one unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down by air defense systems in western Moscow, while two others were suppressed using electronic warfare. 

According to the Russian authorities, these drones "lost control" and crashed into a non-residential building. The attacks on Sunday "slightly damaged" two office buildings, according to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin.

"Hitting such buildings doesn't track with Ukrainian military doctrine, and suggests there was significant jamming working against the UAVs. But there will nonetheless be a "deliberate psychological effect" to bringing the war to the Russian capital and the Russian population," the publication notes. 

The ‘Beaver’ is clearly "vulnerable" to electronic warfare and jamming, according to Wright, but even one or two of the drones evading defenses would be a "huge victory" for the operator.

As with Shaheds, they are likely to be utilized in considerably greater swarms in the future to overwhelm air defenses, according to Wright.