Baba Yaga (aircraft)

Baba Yaga is the nickname for a Ukrainian drone (also called an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or UAV) used in drone warfare created in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It has been described as a "vampire bomber drone."

Nickname
"Baba Yaga" is a reference to the Slavic mythological creature, Baba Yaga, a supernatural witch who flies around in a cauldron or mortar. In August, 2023, the Daily Beast reported that Chechen soldiers of the Russian armed forces claimed the drone had claws and could abduct soldiers.

Construction
The drone is a large hexacopter (6-rotor) drone. It is equipped with an infrared (thermal imaging) camera and able to carry up to a 33-pound rocket warhead.

Baba Yaga originated from an agricultural octocopter. Russian-state media reported use of the drones in the eastern Donbas was based on heavy agricultural drones, and were nicknamed Baba Yaga after "a ferocious old woman."

Use
Baba Yaga was used both as a bomber deploying "mortar-sized munitions" and also as a "mother-ship" drone equipped with a signal repeater, anti-jamming equipment, batteries, and directional antennas. Its ability to function as a signal repeater extended the battery life and range of secondary drones. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the drones have been used primarily at night.

Capture
In December, 2023, it was reported that Russian forces had captured a Ukrainian Baba Yaga drone operating through the Starlink satellite network. On 27 June 2024, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that its troops use the drones in bombing and cargo delivery missions.