Russia deploys Prince Oleg (KVO) drone in Ukraine

Prince Oleg (KVO) drone deployed by Russia in Ukraine

As part of the growing use of unmanned systems on the battlefield, the Russian Armed Forces have deployed the new Prince Oleg (KVO) drone in Ukraine. It has been specifically developed to conduct reconnaissance missions up to 45 kilometres beyond its deployment point, supporting special operations units. Russian state media reports claim that the system also offers considerable survivability, as its appearance enables it to deceive Ukrainian detection systems into identifying it as one of their own drones.

Alexey Chadayev, currently the general director of the Ushkuynik Research and Production Centre (RPC) in Veliky Novgorod, addressed the matter: “The development of FPV air-defence systems - drones against drones in the sky - has caused a real genocide of reconnaissance drones on both sides (…) The KVO has demonstrated an unexpectedly high survival rate for the simple reason that Ukrainians mistake it for some of their own aircraft, which it resembles only in appearance. Of course, over time, the enemy will learn to tell them apart, but for now, this feature has allowed us to fly over Sumy, Kharkiv and other places.”

Low-cost reconnaissance and simplified launch system

Chadayev also stated that the new KVO drones combine the capabilities of an advanced reconnaissance system with lower costs than other platforms currently operated by the country’s Armed Forces, making large-scale production easier. In keeping with this approach, he explained that, should one of its parts break and need replacing, it could be readily produced using 3D printers, reducing costs and speeding up repairs. The same emphasis applies to its launch arrangement, which Chadayev described as follows: “Prince Oleg does not have a complicated launch system: basically, you only need to drive two rods into the ground and launch it.”

Integration with loitering munitions

In remarks to local media, Chadayev further stressed that the new KVO drone will also be particularly useful when employed alongside the loitering munitions currently used by Russian troops, helping to identify potential targets. This role has chiefly been carried out using commercial unmanned systems, such as Mavic models, whose range is considerably shorter than that reportedly achieved by the new platform. The difference amounts to between 20 and 30 kilometres in range.

Lastly, beyond these advantages, the KVO image-transmission system is reportedly already fully integrated with other software used for loitering munitions. According to the reports, this would allow operators of these “kamikaze drones” to receive, on the same screens, the real-time imagery gathered by the new reconnaissance drones, enabling attacks to be carried out with greater situational awareness.