Behemoth is a Ukrainian strike drone unveiled in May 2026 by defense companies Culver Aerospace and GLEFA. It’s built to hit targets up to 300km away with a 75kg tandem warhead. That’s a 40kg high-explosive fragmentation charge followed by a 35kg thermobaric charge. It flies low to avoid detection, can operate autonomously or in FPV mode, and uses Starlink for communications.
What is the Behemoth drone?
Behemoth is a mid-range strike drone developed by Ukrainian companies Culver Aerospace and GLEFA. It was first shown publicly at the Wild Drones exhibition in late May 2026. It measures 2.28m in wingspan, 2.2m in length, and 0.5m in height. It cruises at 170-180 km/h, with a top speed of 200 km/h.
What makes its warhead different?
Behemoth carries a tandem warhead: two separate charges fired in sequence. That’s a design more associated with anti-armor weapons than typical loitering munitions. The nose section holds a 40kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead, followed by a 35kg thermobaric warhead. Combined, that’s a 75kg payload carried up to 300km.
How does it avoid getting shot down?
The drone flies at low altitude specifically to reduce its radar and visual detectability. That’s a tactic shared with other long-range strike drones in the conflict. It can fly a pre-programmed autonomous route or be flown in FPV mode by an operator. Starlink provides its communications link, reducing reliance on ground-based infrastructure that can be jammed or destroyed.
Has it been used in combat?
Yes. Ukrainian sources reported Behemoth drones were used on the night of June 7, 2026 in a strike on the Chonhar bridge. That bridge connects occupied Kherson region to occupied Crimea. It’s an infrastructure target rather than a purely military one.
What don’t we know yet?
Several details remain undisclosed. Neither Culver Aerospace nor GLEFA has published the drone’s engine type or launch method. A second variant, called Behemoth Deepstrike, was announced alongside the original, but no specifications have been released for it. The companies say Behemoth has already entered serial production, though that claim hasn’t been independently verified. One report links the program to Germany’s Helsing and Denmark’s Copenhagen Global A/S. That claim hasn’t been corroborated by other outlets.
Sources: United24 Media, Militarnyi.
