On August 24, 2024, Ukraine marked its Independence Day with the debut of a new weapon system.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces had successfully deployed a new missile-drone weapon system called “Palianytsia” against Russian military targets for the first time.
Ukrainian Palianytsia is a traditional round wheat bread that has a distinctive, slightly domed shape with a golden crust and a soft, fluffy interior. This word is difficult for non-Ukrainian speakers to pronounce correctly, making it a symbolic way to identify Ukrainian speakers amid Russian full-scale invasion.
Speaking during Independence Day celebrations, Zelenskyy said that the Palianytsia represents a “completely new class” of weaponry. While specific details about the drone’s capabilities were not disclosed, the president confirmed that it had successfully struck enemy positions.
“This is our new method of retaliating against the aggressor… It will be very difficult for Russia, even difficult to pronounce what exactly hit them. It’s difficult to counter, but very easy to understand why,” Zelenskyy said.
The introduction of the Palianytsia comes amid a broader push to enhance Ukraine’s drone capabilities.
During a year-end press conference for 2023, Zelenskyy had outlined plans to produce one million drones in 2024. Oleksandr Kamyshin, Minister of Strategic Industries, later clarified that this figure referred specifically to FPV (First Person View) drones, with an additional goal to manufacture over 10,000 medium and long-range attack drones.
By late May 2024, Natalia Kushnerska, head of the BRAVE1 defense tech cluster, reported that the million-drone milestone had already been reached. Nearly all drones for Ukraine’s Defense Forces are now manufactured domestically, with private businesses contributing the largest share.
Related:
- Ukraine’s FPV drone production nearly sixfold behind Russia’s amidst engineers shortage
- Ukraine ramps up long-range drone production to dozens per month
- Ukraine’s drone production reached 200,000 FPV units in early 2024
- Ukraine’s Defence Tech cluster invests $225,000 in 15 projects for Ukraine’s army