Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian Orion unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, military officials said on Sunday.

The interception was carried out by the 414th Separate Drone Systems Brigade, according to Robert Brovdi, commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Open-source accounts have geolocated the crash site east of Tetkino, Kursk Oblast, just across the border from Ukraine.

According to Militarnyi, it was the first Orion intercepted by the 414th Brigade, which has downed about 1,500 enemy drones since the start of the full-scale invasion. Most of these were Orlan, ZALA, SuperCam, Shahed, and Lancet models, along with larger Merlin and Forpost UAVs.

Ukrainian interceptor drone downs Russian long-endurance Orion strike-recon UAV.#UkraineWar pic.twitter.com/zkTCP2yPOu

— Momo (@_momo_z) September 14, 2025

Developed by the Kronstadt Group, the Orion entered limited service in 2020 after testing began in 2015.

The drone has a 16-meter wingspan, a maximum takeoff weight of 1.2 tons, and can carry up to 200 kilograms of payload. It can fly for 24 hours at ranges of 1,000–1,500 kilometers and altitudes of up to seven kilometers.

The Orion is designed for both reconnaissance and strikes, capable of carrying Kh-50 missiles, KAB-20 bombs, and the compact S8000 Banderol cruise missile. Often compared in Russian media to the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper, its specifications more closely resemble the retired MQ-1 Predator.

This was the second Orion confirmed destroyed by Ukraine in recent months. In July, the Security Service’s central air defense unit reported shooting one down, describing it as the largest UAV eliminated by drone interception.

For the first time, Ukrainian FPV interceptors appear to have successfully downed a Russian Orion Medium-altitude long-endurance UAV.

Ukrainian interceptors continue to hunt down larger and more capable Russian drones. pic.twitter.com/9fIuuPguog

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) July 26, 2025