MOSCOW, December 25. /TASS/. Uraldronzavod has sent the first batch of the Berdysh heavy combat drones to Russian troops in the special military operation zone. The aircraft proved its reliability and flight performance during field tests, the company’s General Director Vladimir Tkachuk told TASS.

At the combined Direct Line Q&A session and year-end press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted the shortage of heavy drones, emphasizing that this problem will be resolved soon.

"We’ve delivered the first test batch of about 100 Berdysh drones. It’s a very stable vehicle. During field testing, the drones have proven their reliability - no malfunctions in over a hundred sorties, from dawn to dusk. After preparing the batch, we also waited for the operators to undergo retraining. The heavy drone has completely different firmware, and piloting skills [are] required, not like for kamikaze drones," the Uraldronzavod head said.

He emphasized that the heavy drones are to ensure the supply of ammunition, provisions, and water to the front-line units. "The situation now is such that logistics using vehicles or even lightly armored vehicles is practically impossible - the combat zone is isolated by kamikaze drones, so heavy drones are the only option," Tkachuk added. The Berdysh unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a modular drone. Depending on the mission, it can be used to lay anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, drop mines, and transport cargo.

Uraldronzavod was founded in the Sverdlovsk region by the creators of the Upyr (Vampire) FPV drone. Russian troops are using the Ural-made drone to destroy landing craft on the Dnieper River, as well as enemy fortifications, dugouts, and strongholds. In March 2024, the Upyr destroyed an American Abrams tank, several Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and other armored vehicles of the Ukrainian armed forces. The drone is known as a people’s drone, as it was developed and put into production with financial support from Russian citizens. It is now being supplied to the troops. The FPV drone Upyr was first used in the special military operation zone in May 2023 and proved its effectiveness destroying boats with landing troops on the Dnieper, fortifications, dugouts and strongholds of the enemy.