THE Army has war-gamed strikes on Vladimir Putin’s home city of St Petersburg with new jet-powered drones.
The Sun met Royal Artillery gunners armed with Nyan one-way attack aircraft at their base on eastern frontier in Estonia.
Sgt James Henry, left, with the £80,000 Nyans Credit: © Jerome Starkey 2025
The drones have a range of more than 150 miles and are designed to destroy targets such as oil depots and ammunition dumps Credit: © Jerome Starkey 2025
The drones have a range of more than 150 miles and are designed to destroy targets such as oil depots, ammunition dumps and military command posts.
The base at Tapa is almost exactly 150 miles as the crow flies from the centre of — and the strategic Kronstadt naval base and Levashovo military airfield.
One gunner said: “On an exercise we tested whether it can reach St Petersburg from here. It all depends on enemy air defences and electronic warfare, which affects how much we would have to dog-leg around.”
The Nyan drones are replacing a squadron of Challenger 2 tanks that was in Estonia ten years.
A top source told The Sun: “A tank can deny Russia ground, a drone can punish them.”
The historic shift follows warnings from allies that is plotting a provocation to test Nato’s resolve.
Defence Secretary , who visited last week, said he was “acutely aware of the threats”.
He told The Sun: “We have looked very carefully at the right mix of capabilities. We are determined to provide the most credible deterrent with the most lethal and effective kit available.”
Sgt James Henry, from 26 Artillery Regiment, said of the £80,000 Nyans: “Air defence missiles cost £100,000 to £200,000. So it costs them more than us.
“And if an enemy shoots it down, they reveal air defences we’d then target.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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