Moldova – Russian ‘Parodiya’ UAVs recovered

Two fixed wing UAVs, reported to be the Russian Parodiya, were discovered in Moldova on 10 November 2024. A further Parodiya was discovered in Moldova on 12 November 2024. Typically, Parodiya UAVs are deployed alongside fire support UAVs, like the Shahed 131 and Shahed 136, to act as a decoy and divert the attention of Ukrainian air defences away from fire support UAVs. The Parodiya is not fitted with an explosive payload, instead it is equipped with a Lunenburg Lense. This causes the Parodiya to imitate larger explosive-laden UAVs when detected by radar systems. Other components used in the UAV are manufactured outside of Russia, including from countries within the European Union, China and the United States.

In an interview with CNN Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s air defence forces, claims that up to half of all drones launched by Russia towards Ukraine are decoys.

• Published by Will