Baba Yaga: how Ukraine organises and deploys its heavy bomber drones

Hardly any weapon system in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is as uniquely Ukrainian as the heavy multirotor copter known as Baba Yaga – so far it has found practically no imitators worldwide. That does not detract from the concept’s success; on the contrary, Russia has now created dedicated units whose sole task is hunting the Baba Yagas that have been feared for years.

Origins at Aerorozvidka

The heavy bomber drone emerged during the Donbas conflict, years before Russia attacked in 2022. The idea came from the NGO Aerorozvidka (Аероро́звідка/aerial reconnaissance). Between 2014 and 2017, the eight-rotor R18 octocopter was derived from agricultural drones. Weighing 17 kilograms, it stayed airborne for 45 minutes and carried a five-kilogram payload within a radius of five kilometres.

Originally intended to carry supplies, it quickly found practical use in combat. Besides the first system, the R18, comparable types from other manufacturers soon joined under the collective name Baba Yaga.

Against reverse-slope positions or tanks in partially covered positions, artillery and mortars could not range in quickly enough – counter-battery radar would have located them, and they would have come under fire themselves. The octocopter, by contrast, hovered over the target at night and dropped mortar bombs and shaped-charge grenades with pinpoint accuracy, often scoring a direct hit on the first drop.

A dedicated company in the drone battalion

In February 2024, by decree of President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine officially established the Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS) as a separate branch.

The SBS currently accounts for around two per cent of Ukraine’s entire armed forces. It is organised into battalions, regiments and brigades. Its commander Robert “Magyar” Brovdi names five per cent of the total strength of Ukraine’s defence forces as the target.

The large formations are growing fast and are therefore constantly being reorganised; below them, however, more stable units are emerging.

A drone battalion, for example, comprises a close-combat company, a close-reconnaissance company, a long-range reconnaissance company and a company of attack drones for medium and long distances – as well as a bomber drone company.

This heavy drone company is divided into two platoons, each with two sections, which in turn consist of two teams each. This results in eight independent heavy drone teams, each crewed by three soldiers.

Bombs, mines, supplies

Precision bombing, laying minefields and frontline logistics are the tasks of the heavy hexacopter and octocopter drones. Depending on type and load, their operating radius ranges from five to 25 kilometres.

They became a key element of Ukrainian drone warfare above all because of their carrying capacity. Payloads of 15 to 30 kilograms are common; a newer variant even manages 150 kilograms. This allows several mortar bombs or shaped-charge warheads to be carried and released over stationary targets.

Detected positions within range must therefore expect to be bombed at any time, especially at night. Because their acoustic and thermal signature is high, the heavy copter drones use darkness as natural protection against Russian reconnaissance and air defence.

The system is also highly effective at laying mines on the front line or along logistics routes. Heavy drones also frequently supply their own units in forward positions with urgently needed supplies, whether ammunition, water, food or medicine.

How a Baba Yaga mission works

According to Russian sources, the bomber drone teams specialise in rapid missions. They usually take up position at dusk, three to seven kilometres from the target, complete several flights and withdraw before sunrise. The norm is at least three flights per team per operating day.

To hit several targets from different directions simultaneously and achieve a coordinated attack effect, several drones often take off at once. After each operation the teams relocate so that enemy reconnaissance and counter-fire cannot pick them up.

The bomber drone company works closely with the battalion’s close-reconnaissance company. Immediately before the attack, the latter checks the target coordinates once more and assesses the damage in real time. This data-processing cycle significantly reduces the risk of failure, and each flight is used as efficiently as possible. Some teams also cooperate with artillery units – helping with target acquisition or complementing artillery strikes from the air.

Large multirotor drones require extensive training and maintenance. Their operating teams are therefore often organised as specialised units at brigade or battalion level, with their own logistical support, training facilities and maintenance chains.

What a team carries

As an independent tactical unit, each team of the bomber drone company consists of three people: pilot, target control operator and technician. The team has a vehicle for transport, usually an off-road pickup or a minibus.

The drone’s operating kit includes a remote control with screen, transmitter, antenna masts and cables. Added to this are UHF/HF radios, a Starlink terminal for communications and a tablet as a command and control (C2) terminal. Power comes from a generator (such as the Honda EU22i) and a portable power station with 1 to 1.5 kW capacity (such as the Eco Flow Delta 3), plus a charging station for the drones’ LiPo batteries and spare LiPo batteries.

In intense fighting, according to calculations by Russian sources, Ukraine needs 240 heavy drones per company per month. Added to this are over 1,700 rounds of various munition types, including 82-millimetre mortar bombs, shaped-charge grenades and mines.

Keeping the company in combat is said to cost around 7.5 million euros a month – including resupply of drones and munitions and replacement of components lost in action.

Russia’s hunt for the bomber drones

Russia has set up dedicated units specifically tasked with intercepting the heavy Ukrainian bomber drones. This was described by Andriy Nazarenko, commander of the “Bulava” unmanned systems battalion of the 72nd Separate Mechanised Brigade, in an interview with the Ukrainian military journal Militarnyi.

Nazarenko told Militarnyi: “There are separate units that are directly engaged in shooting down our drones. This is done with various first-person view (FPV) drones deployed there, and drones with nets – that is, there are a variety of methods”.

To counter this, Ukraine’s security and defence forces already have certain solutions, according to Nazarenko, which are currently being implemented.