Russia’s Drone Crisis: Captured Ukrainian ‘Vampires’ Outnumber Its Own Models

Moscow’s drone ambitions crumble as its forces lean on stolen Ukrainian tech. Why can’t Russia build its own reliable drones?

, and Administrator

2025 November 10 . 7:15 AM

1 min read

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Russia’s Drone Crisis: Captured Ukrainian ‘Vampires’ Outnumber Its Own Models

Russia's use of drones in the conflict with Ukraine has been a topic of interest. Recent revelations show that Russian forces are heavily reliant on captured Ukrainian drones, still referring to them by their original name, 'Vampire'.

Despite Russia's claims of drone success, much of the information is propaganda. The reality is that Russian forces have struggled to produce their own reliable drone models.

Ukraine's Armed Forces have been effectively using these drones throughout the war. Russia has failed to establish serial production of its own heavy hexacopter drones, with no responsible individual or entity publicly identified for this failure. Instead, Russian forces are relying on captured and repaired Ukrainian 'Vampire' drones, with more repurposed Ukrainian drones in service than their own models.

The dependence on captured Ukrainian drones highlights Russia's struggle to develop its own reliable drone technology. As the war continues, the effectiveness of Ukrainian drones remains a significant factor, while Russia's propaganda claims contrast with the reality of its drone capabilities.