Ukraine has turned wartime necessity into an export business — and its newest product flies at the speed of a passenger jet.

At Eurosatory 2026 in Paris, Ukraine’s defence industry unveiled the UAV-290, a jet-powered long-range strike drone. Powered by a turbojet, it is said to cruise at up to 800 km/h and reach targets up to 650 km away — a cheap, fast, deep-strike weapon designed for autonomous attacks on ground targets.

War as the Ultimate R&D Lab

Three years of full-scale war have made Ukraine one of the most innovative drone developers on earth. Necessity, a permissive testing environment, and a relentless enemy have compressed development cycles that would take Western firms years into months. The UAV-290 is part of that wave: not a hobby quadcopter but a small, fast, jet-driven weapon that behaves more like a cruise missile.

Built to Sell

Unveiling the UAV-290 at Eurosatory — one of the world’s largest defence exhibitions — is a statement of intent. Ukraine increasingly sees its battle-proven drones as exports, offering allies cheap, combat-tested strike capability and earning hard currency for its own war effort. A 650 km, 800 km/h drone that costs a fraction of a cruise missile is exactly the kind of asymmetric weapon a lot of armies now want.

Sources: Eurosatory 2026 exhibitor announcements; The Defense News; Defense Update.