Palianytsia missile drone costs less than $1 million per unit – Ukraine's minister

A single Ukrainian Palianytsia missile drone costs less than $1 million, according to the head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov and an unnamed specialist involved in the project, as reported in an Associated Press interview.

Fedorov believes that since Russia cannot produce enough air defense systems, this opens up opportunities for Ukraine to operate deep in Russian rear areas.

Fedorov disclosed his involvement in Ukrainian missile development projects since late 2022.

The unnamed specialist involved in creating the long-range missile told the media that it's "a completely new development, from scratch," which began about 18 months ago.

He said this weapon is not a continuation of an old Soviet project. The new missile is equipped with a solid-fuel booster for acceleration, followed by a jet engine.

The specialist and Fedorov said that each such missile costs less than $1 million, and the military is turning to the private sector to further reduce production costs.

"The private market generates solutions incredibly quickly," Fedorov added.

He announced that all types of missiles would be available in Ukraine, and if Ukrainians had such weapons of their own, they would feel more independent and confident.

Fedorov believes that Russia's enormous size can also be its vulnerability: "It's impossible to produce enough air defense systems to protect such a large territory. For us, this opens up the possibility of operating deep behind enemy lines."

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