At secret test-flight facility, Ukraine's drone makers fear Russia ceasefire won't hold

Ukraine long-range drone makers are worried Russia will use the ceasefire to gather strength and attack again.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersAt secret test-flight facility, Ukraine's drone makers fear energy ceasefire won't hold2 days agoShareSaveAbdujalil AbdurasulovBBC NewsReporting fromUkraineShareSaveBBCThe Raybird can fly non-stop more than 1,000km to spy and hit targets deep inside RussiaAt a secret location away from prying eyes, Ukrainian engineers test a long-range drone called Raybird.

The machine, which looks like a mini plane with wings, is placed on a launchpad, stretched like an arrow on a crossbow and then shot into the air.

Raybird can fly non-stop for more than 20 hours and cover a distance of more than 1,000km (620 miles). It carries out reconnaissance missions, and is also used to destroy targets both on the front line and deep inside Russia.

Among their targets are oil refineries and fuel depots.

But after Russia and Ukraine reached separate agreements with the US on a partial ceasefire, missions like these should stop.