FPV kamikaze quadcopter
FPV quadcopter · also known as FPV drone, kamikaze FPV, first-person-view drone
| Designer / manufacturer | many (Ukrainian, Russian and others); example: SkyFall Shrike 10 (Ukraine) |
|---|---|
| Countries | Ukraine, Russia |
| Production | Decentralised; Ukraine says it makes ~10 million drones a year (Zelensky, Jul 2026, all types) |
| Operators | Ukraine, Russia |
| Estimated unit cost | $300–$2k per aircraft, reported (2026) · source |
| Confidence | medium |
Other published estimates
| Estimate | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|
| $400, reported (2026) | SkyFall press release, Shrike 10 | www.kyivpost.com |
| $2.06k, contract figure (2026) | My division of the reported 90 million euro (103 million USD) German deal for 50,000 SkyFall FPVs with Auterion autonomy software; includes more than the airframe | www.kyivpost.com |
Notes
No generic specifications: models vary widely. Price differs by what is bundled (software, training, spares).
Who uses it and how they obtain it
How each user obtains this type, from open sources (research note of 12 October 2026). Confidence concerns the route claim: high means several independent authoritative sources or an official source; medium, one good source with supporting coverage; low, a single source, a party's claim or visual similarity only. 'Contested' means a party denies it, sources disagree, or it rests only on a party's claim. Several primary documents were only reachable through secondary coverage. This is background on the type, not evidence about any specific incident. Explanations are in English.
| User | How obtained | Explanation and sources |
|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | local assembly from kits or parts, commercial off-the-shelf, often adapted Confidence: high | Ukrainian manufacturers assemble FPV drones largely from commercially available components, a significant share of them Chinese (RUSI, December 2025), and Chinese export restrictions have strained production. RUSI (November 2025) adds that Ukrainian flight-controller assembly has struggled to avoid Chinese semiconductors. Components: Motors, batteries, flight controllers, cameras and semiconductors largely from Chinese suppliers; domestic assembly of some flight controllers and cameras is growing. |
| Russia | own production, local assembly from kits or parts, commercial off-the-shelf, often adapted Confidence: medium contested | The Insider and a Wall Street Journal review of confidential reports (relayed by Euromaidan Press) say Russian FPV drones are assembled in Russia largely from Chinese parts, including via exporters that ship to sanctioned Russian makers. Ukraine's HUR makes similar claims and Beijing denies providing military assistance to Russia. Components: Chinese motors, batteries, fibre-optic cable and other parts (press and HUR claims). |
Dossiers mentioning this type
No published dossier names this type yet.
Sources
Cost figures are published estimates from third parties and vary widely; they are not DroneLedger assessments. Corrections: About, corrections & privacy.
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