Ukraine develops balloon‑launched missiles and drones for long‑range attacks

Ukraine is exploring the use of high‑altitude balloons to carry out long‑range strikes against Russia. Analysts say meteorological balloons could transport drones such as the Hornet to altitudes of about 20 km, making them difficult for radar to detect and potentially allowing attacks up to 3,000 km deep inside Russian territory. Launching large numbers of balloons, possibly from drones, could overload Russian air‑defence systems and expose gaps for follow‑on strikes.

The Ukrainian Center for Innovative Technologies has unveiled a prototype called the DART missile, designed to be released from stratospheric balloons at 12‑18 km altitude. The 1.84‑m, 13‑kg missile carries a 3.5‑10 kg warhead, uses an initial navigation system that is switched off at about 6 km to avoid electronic jamming, and then proceeds to its target on a pre‑programmed trajectory. Developers view the system as a way to mitigate Russian electronic‑warfare threats and plan to expand the concept to future ballistic and surface‑to‑air platforms.