Ukrainian FPV Strike Drone Boosts Range By Dropping Used Batteries

Ukrainian manufacturer Stellarion is supplying FPV strike drones with a battery-dropping module that releases depleted batteries during flight to reduce carried mass and extend range. The company's radio-controlled Deadliner R10 and R15 use the mechanism, with advertised ranges of up to 50 and 65 kilometres respectively. Stellarion presented the technology at DroneX 2026, where the R15 was described as carrying a payload of up to 2.5 kilograms. The approach uses staged energy storage on small strike aircraft, with the quoted ranges representing manufacturer specifications rather than a universally demonstrated battlefield engagement distance.