Eye in the sky See the Supercam S350, a drone used by Russian forces in the war against Ukraine that may contain dozens of foreign-made components

Both Russian and Ukrainian forces are making extensive use of drones on the battlefield. The Russian military frequently relies on Molniya drones — cheap to produce and capable of carrying several kilograms of explosives — for strikes. For reconnaissance, Russian forces use Supercam S350 drones, developed by the Unmanned Systems Group. In January, media in Ryazan, Russia, reported that Unmanned Systems had purchased a local shopping mall, presumably converting the 180,000-square-foot space into a drone production facility. The company’s website describes the Supercam S350 only in the context of civilian use, without mentioning its deployment in combat.

According to Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention, the Supercam S350 contains at least 40 foreign-made components. In February, at the IDEX 2025 International Defense Exhibition in Abu Dhabi, Unmanned Systems unveiled another model, the Supercam X4 — this time openly emphasizing its military applications. A company representative, quoted by TASS, said the drone “can be used to transport and drop explosives, primarily to target enemy personnel in the special military operation zone.” Meduza shares photographs, originally released by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, showing Supercam S350 drones in use on the front lines in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

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