Ukraine’s Use of the DART Missile
On June 26, 2026, the American publication Defense News reported that Ukraine is using the DART missile—launched from a weather balloon—to attack targets inside Russia. The missile carries a warhead filled with graphite filaments designed to disable electrical power grids. According to the report, this weapon is one of the newest additions to Ukraine’s medium-range strike campaign against Russian territory.
The DART missile is released at an altitude of 7 to 11 miles (11–18 km) and navigates via satellite guidance until it descends to 4 miles (6.5 km). At that point, the guidance system shuts off, and a solid-fuel rocket motor propels the missile along its planned trajectory. The warhead weighs about 13 kg and disperses conductive graphite threads to cause short circuits in Russian power networks. The DART system has not undergone Ukraine’s official military codification process.
Balloons as Launch Platforms
Retired Colonel Viktor Kevliuk, who served 35 years in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and now works at the Kyiv-based Center for Defense Strategies, stated that
“balloons are actively used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces primarily as support platforms and as means for conducting medium- and long-range strikes.”He added:
“They are inexpensive, invisible to radar, can remain airborne for long periods, and can carry payloads.”
According to the report, Ukrainian forces have launched over 1,000 balloons toward Russia. In September 2025, during one such strike, Russian air defense systems detected balloons at an altitude of about 6 miles (9.7 km). Each balloon costs roughly $200, while interceptor missiles like the S-300 and S-400 cost millions of dollars. In September 2025, Ukraine also launched several balloons over Moscow and Tatarstan.
In May 2026, a video surfaced online showing an American-made Hornet attack drone falling from a Ukrainian balloon over the front line. The Hornet drone, developed by the U.S. company Perennial Autonomy, is about seven feet (2.13 m) long and is controlled by artificial intelligence. Ukrainian forces launched the Hornet from a balloon, which released it at an altitude exceeding 26,000 feet (7.9 km).
On the night of June 26, 2026, drones attacked Moscow and the Moscow region. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed that air defense systems shot down at least 47 drones over the city and its surroundings. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported destroying 660 drones that same night. On June 18, 2026, Moscow experienced a massive attack involving hundreds of drones. Ukraine’s Defense Forces confirmed they had again struck the largest oil refinery in Moscow, located in the Kapotnya district just 15 km from the Kremlin, damaging a complex oil processing unit, three RVS-10000 tanks, and one RVS-30000 tank.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) note that Ukrainian strikes on Moscow have exposed vulnerabilities in Russia’s air defense systems. Last month, the White Stork and Swift Beat initiatives won a contract worth up to $500 million—the largest counter-drone contract in U.S. military history.
The deployment of advanced technologies like the DART missile and drones highlights the evolution of Ukraine’s tactics in the conflict. By using balloons as launch platforms for strike systems, Ukraine can reduce costs and improve attack efficiency. These strategic shifts could significantly affect the course of hostilities and the outcome of the confrontation between Ukraine and Russia, particularly as Ukraine seeks to weaken Russian infrastructure and military capabilities.
As Ukraine continues to innovate in its military strategies, the recent use of balloon-launched DART missiles marks a significant evolution in its offensive capabilities. This development comes in the wake of other notable attacks, such as the recent drone strikes on Moscow's oil facilities, highlighting the ongoing escalation of hostilities and the creative approaches employed by Ukrainian forces to target critical infrastructure in Russia.