A Russian military manufacturer announced the birth of a new UAV nicknamed “Doomsday” and it will be used in the scenario of a nuclear conflict.
Russia has developed a “doomsday” UAV capable of carrying out reconnaissance missions in the event of a nuclear war, said Dmitry Kuzyakin, director of the Center for Comprehensive Unmanned Solutions. Responding to Tass, Mr. Kuzyakin said that the Center has created the Khrust UAV that can be used to monitor radiation levels to ensure human safety in potentially contaminated environments.
Khrust is equipped with various types of equipment, is highly mobile, and can explore every corner while carrying sensors that detect toxic substances or dosimeters, Kuzyakin explained.
The UAV can hover for 20 minutes while actively maneuvering and being guided at a range of 500m to 2km, depending on the pollution level of the area, he said.
The UAV can be deployed in just 30 seconds and controlled from enclosed vehicles while on the move. This means the UAV can check contamination levels along routes through nuclear attack zones, as well as analyze where nuclear attacks occurred in cities and on the ground, according to Mr Kuzyakin.
He said Russia already has UAVs capable of radiological, chemical, and biological survey, but noted that they are expensive and often slow to deploy, while ground troops may need to assess the situation as quickly as possible.
Mr. Kuzyakin hoped that this UAV would never need to be used, but he stressed that Russia needed to prepare for any worst-case scenario that may occur.
Information about the “doomsday” UAV has recently appeared in the context of continuously escalating tensions between Russia and the West.
Russia has repeatedly warned of the risk of nuclear conflict as the West pours aid into Ukraine in its war with Moscow, inching closer to Russia’s “red lines”.
Russia has held strategic nuclear weapons exercises to prepare for scenarios where its military would use the weapons in combat.
Last month, when asked whether Russia should use more weapons in the Ukraine conflict amid the lifting of more restrictions by the US, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said: “In any case, Russia will act in strict compliance with the UN Charter and other important documents, as well as with the generally accepted norms of international law.”
“If only we can prevent a global tragedy, we will try to do so. Unfortunately, our current opponents do not share our aspirations and we cannot count on their wisdom, will, and desire for peace. That means everything is possible,” Mr. Medvedev warned.
According to a 2024 report by the Federation of American Scientists, Russia is estimated to have 5,580 nuclear warheads, while the US has 5,044 warheads.
