From July 20 to 24, the Ukrainian strike drone ‘Liutyi’ is being demonstrated at the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, England. At the Ukroboronprom stand, the drone was presented alongside warhead mockups and samples of missiles intended to arm the UAV for strikes to a depth of up to 200 kilometres at a flight speed of approximately 500 km/h. According to the developers’ concept, the missile armament will transform the drone into a reusable platform for striking deep behind the front lines.
The aircraft’s official designation is An-196. Development and production are carried out by the state aviation enterprise Antonov, which is part of JSC Ukrainian Defense Industry (formerly Ukroboronprom). The project was launched in the second half of 2022 as Ukraine’s response to Russian Shaheds.
The drone features:
- a wingspan of 6.7 metres and a length of 4.4 metres;
- a takeoff weight of approximately 300 kilograms;
- a two-cylinder petrol engine, the Hirth F-23, producing 50 horsepower.
The flight range is estimated at over 1,000 km.
‘Liutyi’ was first used in combat in spring 2023, and Ukraine moved to serial production by the end of that same year. Since then, the drone has been recorded on numerous occasions during strikes deep into Russian territory. One of the most high-profile episodes involving ‘Liutyi’ was the attack on the Kupol plant in Izhevsk in July 2025: the upgraded drones covered approximately 1,400 kilometres to reach their target.
Farnborough International Airshow 2026 is one of the world’s largest aerospace exhibitions. According to the organisers’ estimates, the show is expected to attract over 100,000 visitors. Approximately 64% of exhibitors are foreign companies, and the defence segment’s share this year accounts for nearly 50% of the entire exhibition.