The remains of the Russian Orion drone, also known by the name of the Inokhodets project.

Russia Orion drone are found in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine.

Ukraine OSINT weapons monitoring group reported that the rare Russian combat drone was armed with at least one KAB-20 guided aerial bomb. “While this loss is not recent, it does not appear to have been documented,” the group tweeted.

Russian Orion drone is a medium-altitude attack drone designed for aerial reconnaissance and combat as a carrier of bombs and missiles. He was the first to enter regular operational service in the Russian army.

The image below shows the Orion armed with an airborne version of the Kornet-D laser-guided anti-tank missile, known as the X-BPLA. The specifications of the new missile are yet to be revealed. The ground-launched Kornet-D has a range of up to 5.5 kilometers and the ability to penetrate 1,200 mm of armor.

The drone can be armed with other munitions, including light precision-guided munitions from the KAB-20 and KAB-50 series. The OSINT group published a photo of the wreckage of the KAB-20 drone.

Russian Orion drone was developed by the Russian Kronstadt Group for reconnaissance and combat missions. The drone is usually equipped with an optical targeting system. However, it may also carry a radar or electronic and signal intelligence collection system. The drone has an endurance of 24 hours and a combat radius of 250 kilometers.

The Russian military has been using the Orion and several other types of combat drones against Kyiv forces since the start of the conflict in Ukraine. Details of the operations of these drones are rarely disclosed.

Orion’s basic configuration has a range of approximately 250 kilometers. It can reportedly carry up to four guided bombs with a maximum payload of 200 kg. The upgraded variant of the Orion-RU drone is larger, slightly faster than 295 kilometers per hour, and can carry up to 450 kg of ammunition.

The Kronshtadt Orion is a family of Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) developed by the Kronstadt Group. There are several variants of the drone, both for Russia’s domestic and export markets.

General characteristics

Length: 8 m (26 ft 3 in)

Wingspan: 16 m (52 ft 6 in)

Height: 3 m (9 ft 10 in)

Max takeoff weight: 1,150 kg (2,535 lb)

Payload: 250 kg (550 lb)

Performance

Maximum speed: 200 km/h (120 mph)

Cruise speed: 120 km/h (75 mph)

Range: 1,440 km (890 mi)

Endurance: 24 hours with 60 kg payload

Service ceiling: 7,500 m (24,600 ft)

Armament

Missiles: Vikhr-1V laser-guided antitank missile