Ukraine: How a kamikaze drone partially operated by AI is attacking Russian convoys - France 24
AI Analysis
Ukraine is employing the US-made Hornet kamikaze drone, partially guided by AI, to disrupt Russian logistics. The drone, supplied by Perennial Autonomy (founded by Eric Schmidt), boasts a range exceeding 100km and is proving effective against Russian supply lines, causing significant disruption. Its AI-assisted guidance is reportedly resilient to Russian jamming efforts.
Key Takeaways
- The Hornet drone (aka "Martian-2" by Russian forces) is a $6,000 USD, 4.5kg payload, polystyrene-built kamikaze drone with a 2-meter wingspan and 100+ km range.
- Perennial Autonomy (formerly Swift Beat) secured a deal in July 2025 to supply Ukraine with Hornet drones.
- Ukraine has quadrupled its mid-range strike capability (beyond 20km) between February-April 2026, likely due to the Hornet's deployment.
- The drone utilizes AI for autonomous target identification and navigation, potentially mitigating the effects of electronic warfare.
- Russian sources report the Hornet is nearly silent due to its electric propeller motor, complicating detection.
Why It Matters
The deployment of AI-assisted loitering munitions like the Hornet represents a shift in battlefield tactics, enabling precision strikes against critical infrastructure with reduced risk to manned platforms. This capability is demonstrably impacting Russian logistics, potentially hindering their offensive capabilities and highlighting the growing importance of drone warfare and counter-drone measures. The success of this system could accelerate the adoption of AI in future drone development and deployment.
Ukraine: How a kamikaze drone partially operated by AI is attacking Russian convoys - France 24
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Ukraine: How a kamikaze drone partially operated by AI is attacking Russian convoys
Europe
Drones piloted by artificial intelligence are now being deployed on the Ukrainian front lines, and while there has been much talk about them, there is still much that remains unknown. The US-made Hornet Drone, which is partially guided by AI, is at the centre of a new Ukrainian strategy to target Russian logistics.
Issued on: 01/06/2026 - 13:18Modified: 01/06/2026 - 13:18
6 min Reading time
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By:
The FRANCE 24 Observers
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This video, shared online by the Azov Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine on April 16, 2026, shows a Russian truck being hit by a Ukrainian Hornet drone that’s piloted by AI. A red square marks the drone’s potential target. © X / azov_media
For the past few months, a drone has been prowling Russian logistics routes. The Hornet, which the Russians call the "Martian-2", is a mid-range kamikaze drone partially piloted by artificial intelligence.
The drone – which is built of polystyrene, has a 2-metre wingspan and a range of more than 100 km – costs $6,000 USD. It can hit a target at a speed of 200 km/h and can carry a 4.5kg payload. After the drone is launched using a catapult, it flies using an electric propeller motor, which means that it is nearly silent, according to Russian sources. It is piloted using two cameras.
The US-designed Hornet was developed by the American company Perennial Autonomy, which was founded and financed by former Google CEO, Eric Schmidt. This drone is frequently used in US Army training exercises. However, in July 2025, Perennial Autonomy – then called Swift Beat – made a deal to supply Ukraine with drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on May 5 that Ukraine had quadrupled its number of mid-range strikes, meaning those beyond 20 kilometres, between February and April 2026.
This shows a Hornet drone on its launcher. © US Army
Once the drone is in Russian-occupied territory, it can apparently pilot itself using artificial intelligence, a system that makes it less vulnerable to Russian signal jamming.
The drone is said to be able to automatically identify its targets before striking. It is, however, very difficult to know the precise role played by artificial intelligence in the decision taken to strike. Our team contacted Perennial Autonomy, who did not want to comment on the drone’s piloting system. The Ukrainian Army did not respond to our questions.
Elite Ukrainian units like the Azov and Khartia Brigades have been posting images of Hornet drones striking Russian supply convoys. On his Telegram channel, Russian military blogger Alexander Kharchenko admitted that Russian “logistics is seriously disrupted”. He said that the Hornet is allowing Ukrainians to strike at an unprecedented distance: “Until recently, the guys were easily carrying o