Ukrainian Puma reconnaissance drone shrugs off Russian missile strike

A Ukrainian Puma reconnaissance drone has survived an attempt by Russian forces to shoot it down with a missile.

Footage released by the Ukrainian ministry of defence on X, formally known as Twitter, shows the RQ-20 Puma Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) being caught in the blast, but apparently remaining undamaged and staying in the air.

The camera on the US-supplied drone pans back to reveal that the entirety of the 1.4m-long UAV remains visibly undamaged and it continues flying.

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The Puma is an electric-powered, hand-launched drone with a wingspan of 2.8m that can stay in the air for up to three hours, depending on the type of battery used.

It only weighs 6.3kg and can therefore easily be launched from flexible locations.

The Puma UAV gathers intelligence and can monitor an area up to 493 square miles - the same size as Greater Manchester.

The Royal Navy has Puma drones as part of its arsenal, having expanded its drone fleet in 2021. British Army soldiers have also flown the drone.

The Ukrainian ministry of defence expressed its gratitude in the post on X, saying: "Thank you to our American friends for providing the high quality equipment we need."

The US has been the largest military aid donor to Ukraine, having given Ukraine more than $43.8bn worth of military aid since the Russian invasion in February 2022.