A hybrid version of Skyeton’s Raybird unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), featuring an electric motor powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, has entered full-scale combat duty with a unit of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Since December 2025, as part of interagency testing, the unmanned aircraft has been performing missions in the combat zone.
To utilize hydrogen effectively, Skyeton engineers developed a new airframe architecture for the Raybird, adapted for the integration of the new fuel system. The new design distributes space and weight properly for the hydrogen power system and has been optimized for mass production of this UAV variant.
The Raybird UAS is used for long-range reconnaissance missions. By utilizing hydrogen-electric propulsion, the platform offers enhanced operational efficiency and environmental benefits for both defense and civilian applications. The mass-produced Raybird, which runs on an internal combustion engine, allows for flight endurance of over 28 hours. As of January 2026, the hybrid hydrogen version of the drone can remain airborne for approximately 12 hours.
Roman Knyazhenko, CEO of Skyeton, stated that the company has converted two years of laboratory testing into a new aircraft concept—the same class and weight, but a completely redesigned concept based on electric propulsion. He explained that hydrogen fuel combines the advantages of an electric motor (high reliability, power, and ease of maintenance) with the long-duration continuous flight that is a hallmark of the Raybird. He emphasized that maintaining a balance of these characteristics is vital, as the Raybird performs complex deep reconnaissance tasks using high-tech payloads, with the average mission duration exceeding 10 hours.
