The Ukrainian development called "Palyanytsia", which was recently presented by the authorities, caused considerable interest and a series of discussions among military experts. One of them was Oleg Katkov, the editor-in-chief of Defense Express, who questioned the initial statements about the Palyanitsa as a drone missile.
According to Katkov, the key feature of "Palyanytsia" is its jet engine, not rocket, as was initially announced. "There is a big difference between a rocket engine and a jet engine. "Palyanytsia" has a jet engine, and this is absolutely normal. A rocket engine is what is used in ballistic missiles and rocket launchers," he explained on Radio NV.
Despite the attempt to keep the details of the "Palyanitsa" secret, Katkov notes that the official video indicated its range of damage - up to 600 km. "600 kilometers - maybe something is walking, plus or minus. The map of airfields that can be hit by this product is shown - there the range is up to 750 km. In any case, it's about long-range, and it's very cool," the expert noted.
Katkov emphasized that the difference between a cruise missile and a jet drone in this case is actually blurred. He believes that "Palyanytsia" is actually a land-based cruise missile designed for strikes on Russian airfields, which is much cheaper than known analogues.
According to Katkov, the key advantage of "Palyanytsia" is its relative cheapness. "Practice shows that the means needed to strike the enemy must be massive. There should be a lot of them, and this is possible if the product is cheap. It may not be as sophisticated as Storm Shadow or Tomahawk, but it is still effective," he emphasized.
On Independence Day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the first successful combat use of the Ukrainian Palyanitsa drone missile. According to him, this weapon has already demonstrated its effectiveness by striking the enemy.
Another military expert, Oleksandr Musienko, expressed the opinion that Ukraine can produce a significant number of "Palyanyts" capable of carrying out the task of destroying enemy oil refineries and industrial enterprises. This provides Ukraine with additional opportunities in the confrontation with Russia and strengthens its defense capabilities.
