Ukraine's Winged Drones Expand Deep-Strike Capabilities, Challenge HIMARS

Ukraine is deploying mid-range winged drones that can travel 30–300 km and carry heavier payloads, equipped with AI-targeting to hit moving or stationary targets behind Russian lines even if signal is lost. These drones cost far less than HIMARS missiles (roughly thousands of dollars per unit vs. hundreds of thousands to millions for rockets) and can operate under electronic warfare, potentially restoring a scalable intermediate-range strike capability. Analysts say the development marks a shift in battlefield dynamics by allowing Kyiv to target logistics and rear-area assets more effectively, though true autonomy and countermeasures will determine long-term impact.