Russia said Ukrainian Bober drones are the ones to blame for the attack on Moscow: what is known about their development. Photo

The Russian Federation believes that drones of the Bober type could have been used to attack the Moscow City business center in the Russian capital. Propagandists complain that the damaged building is losing its popularity and switching to remote work just like in pandemic times.

According to Russia's Kommersant, the investigation has not disclosed the details of the attack yet, but sources close to the investigation believe that Bober drones, which are distinguished by their keel shape and dark blue coloring, could have been used for the attacks. Debris of this color was allegedly seized near the Moscow City tower in large quantities, where Russian ministries are located.

What is known about the UAV

The first evidence of the Bober UAV appeared in 2022 when Ukrainian blogger Ihor Lachenkov announced a joint fund raise with Govor Help for attack drones for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR). He showed a photo of the drone on May 11 and claimed that the enemy had already suffered losses because of it.

According to media reports, these drones were first used to attack Moscow and the Moscow suburbs on May 30. According to Newsweek, drones of this type have been around for many years, but there is no indication that they were like those that were seen in Moscow.

Drone characteristics

Bober is built based on the aerodynamic "duck" scheme with a pusher propeller at the back, which allows to change the flight altitude to evade air defense systems quickly. It is similar to the Iranian Shahed in appearance, but is more vulnerable to electronic warfare systems, experts say.

Its range is believed to exceed 1,000 kilometers. One Bober drone costs an average of 110,000 dollars.

"It flies very slowly and very steadily, with a clear emphasis on range," British drone expert Steve Wright says.

He said the drone that attacked Moscow appears to have an internal combustion engine, judging from available photo and video footage. The UAV is equipped with a propeller and undercarriage, indicating that the Bober is launched into the air from the asphalt. Wright emphasizes that it can be vulnerable to EW means and jamming, but it would be a huge success for the operator if at least one or two UAVs evade defenses.