Ukrainian intel destroys Russia’s latest Dan-M strike drone over Black Sea

The Ukrainian-developed air defense system is equipped with R-73 missiles and operated by trained Ukrainian military intelligence personnel, the agency said.

“After detecting the Russian drone, Ukrainian defense and security forces successfully struck the target — a modern Russian jet-powered UAV, likely the Dan-M model, which was downed and crashed into the Black Sea,” the statement read.

On the same day, communications and EW expert Serhii Beskrestnov (known by the handle Flash) reported on Telegram that Russian forces attacked Ukraine using the new Dany-M strike drone. According to Beskrestnov, the drone — originally designed as a jet-powered target for air defense training — was reconfigured by Russia into a combat UAV. It is capable of reaching altitudes up to 9 kilometers.

He said the Dan-M was launched in a group from occupied Crimea. The drone’s specifications reportedly include a flight duration of 25–40 minutes, speeds of 400–750 km/h, and a maximum altitude of 9 kilometers.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 90 Shahed-type attack drones and several decoy UAVs in a massive overnight assault.

“A key feature of this airstrike was the targeting of frontline-adjacent regions,” Ukraine’s Air Force said in a statement.