In late 2024, Russian state-owned news agencies published documentation of a workshop for the production of fixed-wing, molded foam UAV platforms, loaded with various anti-armor payloads and fitted with improvised electric impact fuses. The platforms were of a series of light UAVs obtained in large numbers by Russian forces for various uses, dubbed “Chernika.” Improvised loitering munitions have been used by both Russian and Ukrainian forces since the expansion of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In recent months, loitering munitions made from light or improvised materials are being increasingly employed to keep up with modern drone warfare TTPs, mainly enhanced endurance against electronic countermeasures, increased range, heavier payloads, and better survivability against kinetic interception attempts.
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