Aircraft & UAVs

Bober

Also known as
  • UJ-26 Beaver
  • UJ-26 Bober
  • Beaver
  • Бобер

The Bober, also known as the UJ-26 Beaver, is a Ukrainian long-range one-way attack UAV associated with deep-strike missions against Russian military infrastructure. Open sources describe it as a pusher-propeller, canard-layout loitering munition with roughly 800 to 1,000 km of reported range, an approximately 20 kg warhead, and later catapult-launched examples, giving Ukraine an indigenous strike option for targets far beyond the front line.

Bober, Long-range one-way attack UAV / loitering munition, Aircraft & UAVs
Image source: Ukraine Starts Mass-Producing UJ-26 Kamikaze UAV

Role in Conflicts

Documented Design Notes

Open-source reporting ties the Bober's public identity to a late-2022 fundraising push, then shows how the airframe and launch method evolved once it entered combat use.

TopicWhat sources document
NameMETIS identifies the Ukrainian name Бобер as “Beaver.”
AirframeSources describe a teardrop fuselage with centrally mounted canards and a rear pusher propeller.
RangePublic reporting places range at 800 to 1,000 km.
Launch evolutionEarly examples used prepared airstrips; later footage showed a catapult launch that removed the need for landing gear.

Sources: UJ-26 Bober, Guide To Ukraine's Long Range Attack Drones, Ukrainian UJ-26 Bober drones destroy Russian air defence systems and damage fighter jet, Ukraine's intelligence reports.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Ukraine
Built by
UkrJet
Type
Long-range one-way attack UAV / loitering munition
Service note
Introduced during the full-scale 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Designed
Reported publicly from 2023
Unit cost
Reported around 4 million hryvnias or more than $100,000 per drone
Produced
Reported mass production from 2023

Specifications

Range
Reported 800 to 1,000 km
Warhead
Approximately 20 kg
Speed
Reported up to about 200 km/h
Airframe
Canard-layout fixed-wing UAV with rear pusher propeller
Launch
Initially runway-launched; modified examples shown using catapult launch
Variants
  • Modified FPV-style / catapult-launched UJ-26 Bober
Launch Systems

Open reporting shows Bober drones being launched from fixed ramps rather than conventional airstrips.

LauncherLauncher typeLaunch evidence
Catapult launch system, Catapult launcher for fixed-wing UAVs, Support EquipmentCatapult launch systemPneumatic aircraft launcher

Business Insider described GUR footage of a Bober launched from a fixed ramp, showing a catapult launch configuration without landing gear.

Sources: Ukraine has been catapulting drones to strike Russia's million-dollar air defenses deep behind battle lines

Timeline

Bober Key Events

  1. Late-2022 crowdfunding reported

    METIS says the Bober was first observed in 2023 after reported crowdfunding in late 2022, placing the system's public emergence in the opening phase of the full-scale war.

    Sources: UJ-26 Bober

  2. DIU reports strikes in occupied Crimea

    Ukrainska Pravda reports DIU footage of Bober drones striking Russian air-defence systems and a Su-30 at Saky airfield, while also showing a catapult launch configuration.

    Sources: Ukrainian UJ-26 Bober drones destroy Russian air defence systems and damage fighter jet, Ukraine's intelligence reports

Media

Bober Videos

Bober Images

Bober, Long-range one-way attack UAV / loitering munition, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1
Source: Ukraine Starts Mass-Producing UJ-26 Kamikaze UAV
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Related News

Sources

Guide To Ukraine's Long Range Attack DronesPublisher: Covert Shores | Note: Supports background, layout, introduction period, reported range, payload, and deep-strike role for the UJ-26 Beaver/Bober. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Bober, Liutyi, and Valkiriya: How Ukrainian UAVs eliminate enemy on front lines and in rearPublisher: RBC-Ukraine | Note: Supports Ukrainian manufacturer attribution to UkrJet, general background, reported range, and reported unit-cost context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Ukrainian UJ-26 Bober drones destroy Russian air defence systems and damage fighter jet, Ukraine's intelligence reportsPublisher: Ukrainska Pravda | Note: Directly supports the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War usage note, including DIU-reported Bober strikes on Russian air-defence systems and a Su-30 in occupied Crimea; also supports updated launch and speed/warhead context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Ukraine Starts Mass-Producing UJ-26 Kamikaze UAVPublisher: TurDef | Note: Supports reported range, warhead, runway-launch context, mass-production reporting, and identifies the selected UJ-26 image used in this entry. | Accessed: 2026-06-20UJ-26 BoberPublisher: METIS by Fenix Insight | Note: Supports Ukraine as country of manufacture and general identification of the Bober as a one-way attack UAV first observed in 2023. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Category:Bober UAVPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Checked for open-license Bober media; the category identifies the subject but currently lists no reusable files in the category. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Ukraine has been catapulting drones to strike Russia's million-dollar air defenses deep behind battle linesPublisher: Business Insider | Note: Supports the Bober fixed-ramp launch context, the catapult-launch explanation, and the screenshot image showing a Bober being launched from a ramp. | Accessed: 2026-06-27