Russia starts using drone made with ‘sticks’ and ‘AliExpress’ spare parts

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on Monday Russia has started using unmanned aerial vehicles of an "unspecified type" made of parts delivered via AliExpress, a Chinese online retail service.

Over the past few days, unidentified drones have been mentioned in daily military briefs, and unconfirmed reports suggested they flew at a low altitude and did not produce a loud sound, making them hard to be detected.

Speaking on national television, Mr Ihnat said the Ukrainian military had retrieved and were examining fragments of those UAVs.

"In fact, they [Russians] bought engines from AliExpress. This is how the enemy will use them," he added.

"This is not the first time an aircraft has been made from simple materials, as they say, ‘from sticks’, and launched towards our country."

Despite the "artisanal" manufacturing method, the new drones still pose danger, the Air Force spokesman warned.

"Whatever the case, this is a strike-type UAV, it carries several kilograms of explosives, so it is dangerous."

Drones have become crucial in Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, leading some observers to call it the 'war of drones'.

Both Kyiv and Moscow have been extensively using and improving both UAVs and means of countering them.