Among the large number of heroes in the Ukraine’s determination to repel invading Russian armed forces is a mid-size, locally made drone known as the Punisher – something of a weaponized step-up vehicle from consumer craft to the formidable Turkish-built Bayraktar TB2 UAVs also being flown in the country’s defense. As Team Putin might woefully attest, the pint-size Punisher has been living up to its name.
The punitive UAV is built by Ukrainian company UA Dynamics, which describes the vehicle as “reusable, fast, unexpected, precise, lethal.” The firm’s specs say the Punisher has a 4.4-pound “combat payload,” 29-mile strike range, and 39 knots cruising speed. According to UA Dynamics officials cited in various press reports, the Punisher has carried out at least 60 successful drone missions against Russian armed forces since they began their invasion – several with considerably outsize effects.
The craft are described as having a 7.5-foot…
