Ukraine Uses AI-Guided Kamikaze Drone to Strike Russian Supply Routes

Ukrainian units have deployed a U.S.-made kamikaze drone that uses partial artificial-intelligence guidance to strike Russian supply convoys at distances exceeding 80 kilometres from the front line. The drone, designated the Hornet and referred to by Russian sources as the Martian-2, is constructed of polystyrene, has a two-metre wingspan, and carries a 4.5-kilogram payload.

It is launched by catapult, flies on an electric motor, and reaches speeds of 200 kilometres per hour. After entering Russian-controlled territory, the system can operate without continuous radio contact, allowing it to identify and engage targets such as trucks or armoured vehicles even when electronic jamming is present.

The Hornet was developed by the American company Perennial Autonomy, formerly known as Swift Beat. In July 2025 the company agreed to supply the drones to Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on May 5 that the number of Ukrainian strikes beyond 20 kilometres had quadrupled between February and April 2026.

Units including the Azov and Khartia Brigades have published video of strikes on Russian convoys. One recorded mission on May 8 originated from the occupied city of Mariupol, more than 100 kilometres from the nearest Ukrainian positions.

Russian military bloggers have reported that the drone flies at low altitude, approximately 200 metres, and that its control signal is concealed within civilian Wi-Fi traffic. A Russian volunteer group that recovered a downed Hornet produced a 100-page technical report noting the presence of Qualcomm processors and an estimated success rate above 80 percent.

George Barros, director of innovation at the Institute for the Study of War, said the partial AI guidance enables the drone to select targets independently once over Russian territory and to complete the final metres of an attack without a pilot link.