Morrigan drone – Ukraine’s 412th Nemesis Brigade has released close-up footage of a locally produced fixed-wing mid-range drone called the Morrigan, aimed at Russia’s R-280 “Novorossiya” highway used to supply its southern front. The brigade says the drone can operate behind e
Saturday’s footage landed like a warning shot in the logistics war: Ukrainian troops, deep behind the southern front, displayed a fixed-wing aircraft they describe as a “secret weapon” meant to operate behind enemy lines.
The release came from the 412th Nemesis Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces. In a statement, the unit published close-up and pre-launch footage of the drone it dubbed the Morrigan, presenting it as locally produced and designed for mid-range strikes against Russia’s supply routes.
The brigade’s framing was deliberate. “With the permission of the manufacturer, we are lifting the curtain: What kind of secret drone is this?” it wrote. The Morrigan, it said, is its “secret weapon” at mid-range.
The images show a fixed-wing design with a single-propeller engine mounted on the nose. In the pre-launch clip, the drone appears to be roughly 4 to 5 feet long, with swept wings and two tail fins. It also appears built for takeoff without a runway, launched from a rail or slingshot platform.
Ukraine’s goal with this kind of drone is described by analysts and Ukrainian officials as a way to slow Russia’s advance. The logic is straightforward even if the technology is not: by forcing Russian logistics away from what Russia considers safe corridors. mid-range drones can disrupt resupply before it reaches the front.
The 412th put that aim on a specific target. It said the Morrigan has already operated in Crimea on several occasions and destroyed “top Russian air defense and support targets,” and that “right now, it is conducting a logistical hunt from Mariupol to Crimea.”
The attacked route is a long artery in the south: the R280 “Novorossiya” highway. described as spanning from Rostov-on-Don to Crimea and running through occupied Ukrainian territory. The unit said the highway is used by Russia to supply its southern front. and it is typically about 50 to 75 miles from the front lines. The route follows the coast of the Sea of Azov and passes through cities including Mariupol and Melitopol.
The Morrigan is part of an emerging class of drones that Ukraine has been using more frequently this year to strike Russian forces and logistics between about 20 and 300 kilometers. or 12 to 186 miles. behind the front lines. The 412th emphasized that these aircraft are usually lighter than the long-range systems used to strike Russia’s defense and oil industries. But unlike the first-person-view quadcopters dominating parts of the battlefield, the Morrigan is fixed-wing.
The unit’s earlier posts pointed to the kind of disruption it aims to create. Last week. the 412th uploaded clips of several drone attacks on supply and fuel convoys driving along a highway. saying it had destroyed “dozens” of Russian trucks and gas stations. At that time. it had not identified the Morrigan by name. instead referring to it as a “secret wing” specifically built for the attack mission.
Russian-backed authorities in the occupied territories have moved in the same direction—away from reliance on a single route. On Monday, they said they were working on alternative routes for the R280 highway, citing intensified Ukrainian attacks since mid-May. The highway is not only a military lifeline; it is also used by civilian motorists and commercial transport.
Russian state media outlet TASS highlighted at least five Ukrainian attacks on the R280 last week. with at least three involving supply or fuel trucks. The pressure on the route was reflected in administrative moves as well. On May 21. the Russian-backed governor of the Kherson region. Vladimir Saldo. ordered a temporary closure of part of the highway to non-essential civilian traffic.
Taken together. the sequence is hard to miss: Ukraine publishes operational footage of a mid-range fixed-wing drone meant to hit logistics from distance. while Russian-backed authorities respond by planning alternate routes and restricting civilian traffic where the highway runs. The drone’s stated work—described as an active “logistical hunt” stretching from Mariupol to Crimea—tracks the same corridor that has drawn both military strikes and civilian disruption.
For now, the Morrigan’s debut footage does more than introduce a new aircraft. It shows how Ukraine is trying to complicate Russia’s southern supply line—one runway-free takeoff and one highway corridor at a time—before convoys ever reach the front.
Ukraine drones Morrigan drone 412th Nemesis Brigade Unmanned Systems Forces R-280 Novorossiya highway Mariupol to Crimea mid-range fixed-wing drone logistics disruption Vladimir Saldo Kherson region
secret drone lol sure
So they’re flying drones on like a slingshot off a rail and “mid-range” to hit highways… cool, but also doesn’t Russia just reroute? I’m confused how a 4-5 foot plane is a “secret weapon.”
Wait I thought the Russians were using that R-280 road or whatever for supplies, but now it’s “deep behind”?? Like deep for who, like deep into Ukraine or Russia? Also fixed-wing drones already exist, so why the dramatic “permission of the manufacturer” thing, feels like propaganda.
You know what’s wild, the article says it launched without a runway like a rail or slingshot platform, which sounds like something from a video game. They say it’s 4-5 feet long but “mid-range” which makes me think it can go a lot farther than people realize. If it already hit stuff in Crimea “several occasions,” then why are we acting like this just got unveiled? Seems like they just needed a flashy close-up video to get attention.