The six-inch Black Hornet ‘microdrones’ that can enter Russian buildings

Britain is to supply Ukraine with hundreds of “microdrones” so small they can fly within feet of Russian soldiers and enter buildings to spy on their positions.

The six-inch Black Hornet drones, which look like a child’s toy helicopter, were first used by British forces during the invasion of Afghanistan.

The miniature drones have a 1.2-mile range, a top speed of 11mph, night vision and a flight time of up to 25 minutes.

Their rotors are silent enough that they can enter compounds without being detected, while three cameras in the nose beam back high-definition video.

Boris Johnson’s office announced on Wednesday that the 850 microdrones were part of a new £54 million package. They will be jointly supplied with Norway, which co-produced the drone.

Ukrainian authorities have asked for this type of equipment from Western allies in the fight against Russian forces.

The Black Hornets, costing around £8.5 million, would give Ukraine the ability to not only spy on Russian positions but conduct more accurate weapons’ damage assessment.

One researcher at the German Aerospace Centre described the Norwegian-developed drones as “the very best on the market” and their deployment in Ukraine as “game changing”.

“The drone is used for reconnaissance and target identification. It is easy to operate, robust, difficult to detect and particularly well suited for combat in urban areas,” said Bjørn Arild Gram, Norway’s defence minister. “The donation entails a new direction for how Western countries support their fight. Until now we and our allies have mostly donated from our own stocks,” Mr Gram added.

Thanking Mr Johnson during a visit to Kyiv, the Ukranian ministry of defence tweeted:

“Norway and the UK remain determined to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine,” said Ben Wallace, Britain’s Defence Secretary. “These cutting-edge drones will help give Ukraine’s troops a vital advantage on the battlefield as they fight to defend their country against Putin’s brutal and unprovoked invasion.”

Drones have chequered history

David Hambling, defence journalist and author of the book Swarm Troopers: How small drones will conquer the world, cautioned that the drone has a slightly chequered history.

“The British Army flew them for some years but because they were expensive (reportedly £80,000 each) and fragile (some were allegedly lost because they were trodden on) they were dropped. However, the current generation may be better,” he told The Telegraph.

“The big selling point is that it is tiny and quiet, and hence more useful for close-in recon than consumer drones like the DJIs [unnamed commercial drone] widely used by Ukrainian forces which are audible from some distance.

“The Black Hornet is said to be able to enter buildings through open doorways and windows, making it a useful scout in urban combat.”

In 2013, a British major told the Daily Mail the Black Hornet had proven useful on the battlefield in Afghanistan.

“Previously we would have sent soldiers forward to see if there were any enemy fighters hiding inside a set of buildings,” said Major Adam Foden.

“Now we are deploying Black Hornet to look inside compounds and to clear a route through enemy-held spaces.”

Appeal for drones

Since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine at the end of February, drones of all shapes and sizes have been used by both sides in the conflict.

Drone footage shared and posted to social media depict the brutality of the conflict and reveal what has happened during battles, including war crimes in the destroyed city of Bucha.

Ukraine last month launched an appeal for donations from abroad of remote-controlled aircraft. The country hopes to collect thousands of multi-use and commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Drones which meet the minimum standards are being donated to Ukraine via two warehouses, one in Poland and the other in the US.

According to Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s minister of digital transformation, hobby and commercial drones have already shown their effectiveness on the battlefield.

Mr Wallace on Wednesday claimed Russia is in a “very fragile position”, saying its advance can be measured “in metres per week, not miles”.

On whether Ukraine is realistically in a position to retake the territory that Russia still holds, Mr Wallace said: “I think Ukraine is getting itself into that position.”

Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, urged UK citizens to be “patient” as the war-torn country “cannot afford to lose your support”.