KYIV, — April 13, 2026 : Ukraine has presented a new domestically developed long-range strike system, the Areion missile-drone, during an updated defense technology exhibition hosted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The display was organized to mark the Day of the Defense Industry Worker and attended by foreign diplomats.
The Areion is described as a modification of the Palianytsia turbojet-powered drone-missile system and was exhibited alongside the RK-360 Neptune anti-ship cruise missile. According to information released at the exhibition, the Areion carries a warhead of up to 120 kilograms and has an operational range of up to 600 kilometers.
The system is supplied in a launch container compatible with the Neptune missile complex, allowing integration with existing Ukrainian launch infrastructure. In addition, it can be transported and launched from trailers or semi-trailers, similar to the deployment concept used for the Palianytsia, enabling flexible ground-based operations without reliance on dedicated military vehicles.
The Areion builds directly on the Palianytsia platform, a domestically developed hybrid system combining characteristics of a cruise missile and an unmanned aerial vehicle. The Palianytsia was first publicly unveiled by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on August 24, 2024, during Ukraine’s Independence Day, and was confirmed to have been used in combat operations against Russian military targets on the same day.
Developed by the Kyiv-based Luch Design Bureau, which also produces the Neptune missile system, the Palianytsia has a total weight of approximately 320 kilograms and an earlier payload capacity of up to 100 kilograms. It is powered by a single-circuit turbojet engine, enabling speeds of up to 900 km/h and flight at altitudes between 15 and 500 meters. The system uses a combination of inertial navigation (INS) and GPS guidance and is launched from ground-based platforms. Upgraded versions have a reported range of up to 650 kilometers.
The Palianytsia entered mass production in late 2024 and has since been used in strikes against Russian military infrastructure, including airfields and logistics facilities located within 600–700 kilometers of Ukrainian territory.
While the Areion retains compatibility with existing Neptune launch systems and the mobility of trailer-based deployment, no additional technical specifications—such as speed, propulsion modifications, or guidance upgrades—have been disclosed at the current exhibition.
The Foreign Ministry display also included other Ukrainian-developed systems, including the Flamingo drone, Buntar-3, GOR, January, Sova-150, interceptor drones Octopus and STING, the LTEJ Mirage electronic warfare system, and models of light-class surface-to-air missile systems.
The exhibition forms part of Ukraine’s ongoing effort to demonstrate progress in domestically developed long-range strike capabilities. No operational deployment details for the Areion have been announced.
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