Palianytsia

• Name — Palianytsia • Type — Turbojet drone • Origin — Ukraine • Is Missile — Yes • Service — 2024 • Used By — Ukraine • Wars — Russo-Ukrainian War • Designer — Luch Design Bureau • Manufacturer — Ukroboronprom • Production Date — 2024 • Mass — 320 kg • Engine — turbojet • Payload Capacity — 100 kg • Vehicle Range — 650 km • Speed — 900 km/h • Guidance — INS, GPS • Altitude — 15–500 m

The word palianytsia (a hearth-baked bread) is a shibboleth that has been used to unmask foreign agents in Ukraine's armed forces, who are usually unable to pronounce the word correctly.

The weapon, a cross between a missile and a drone, took 18 months from original design to production. As it is produced in Ukraine, it sidestepped the prohibitions on using Western weapons to strike deep into Russia. The Palianytsia drone hit targets up to 600 miles from the front line, and reportedly has a hypothetical maximum range of 1200 miles.

Although the Palyanytsya has been termed a rocket drone, it is powered by a turbojet engine. According to military correspondent David Axe Palyanytsya is powered by an AI-PBS-350 jet-engine jointly developed by Czech PBS Velká Bíteš and Ukrainian Ivchenko-Progress SE. The AI-PBS-350 is optimized for single use munitions, it weighs 51 kg, has an outer diameter of 298 mm, a length of 706 mm and produces 3400 N of thrust. The engine's specific fuel consumption is 0.125 kg/N/h, i.e. at full thrust the consumption is kg/h.

On 28 August 2024, Minister for Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov stated that the Palyanytsya costs less than US$1 million. A Ukrainian reserve colonel estimates the cost to be $50 000 to $100 000, i.e. much less than traditional Western cruise missiles that cost upwards of one million USD. On 6 September 2024, Oleksandr Kamyshin stated to The Kyiv Independent that Lithuania would contribute 10 million Euro to build Palianytsia systems. On 4 December 2024, Rustem Umerov (then the Defence Minister of Ukraine) announced that the Palianytsia missile-drone had entered serial production.

Palyanytsya's unveiling came on 24 August 2024 with the claim that the missile had already been used against unspecified Russian military targets that media speculated included an ammunition depot in Voronezh Oblast. On 18 and 21 September 2024, UAVs caused the Toropets depot explosions and explosions at an ammunition storage facility at Tikhoretsk as well as at the Tikhoretsk air base. In part based on reports of jet engines being heard by Russians during the attacks military correspondent David Axe subsequently reasoned that the attacks were done with Palianytsia. According to Volodymyr Zelensky the strikes carried out on the Novorossiysk Port in 11 August 2026 were done using Palianytsia in conjunction with Neptune missiles and unmanned naval vehicles.

Palianytsia is classified as a cruise missile, unmanned combat aerial vehicle or rocket drone. Associated with Ukraine.