Three Tu-143 high-speed reconnaissance drones have been photographed throughout ongoing Lebanese Military operations in opposition to Hezbollah.
On Sep. 23, 2024, the Israeli Protection Forces (IDF) reported the existence of transformed Soviet-era jet-powered reconnaissance drones within the arsenal of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group, calling it the DR-3, found throughout strikes throughout Lebanon. Greater than a yr later, pictures of three models of the particular system, often known as the Tupolev Tu-143 Reys, have been launched by Al Jadeed Information on Jan. 6, 2026.
The outlet mentioned the pictures have been taken throughout a Lebanese Military raid on an underground facility of the Iran-aligned and pro-Palestinian militia. Hezbollah, together with the Houthis and Hamas, is within the U.S. State Division’s record of Overseas Terrorist Organizations.
Operations in opposition to Hezbollah by the Lebanese Military and Israel (the latter with air strikes) continued on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9. Each events have competing claims on the success and sincerity of the opposite’s operations, however are nonetheless geared toward Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Attention-grabbing footage displaying what appears to be like like Russian Tu-143 Reys reconnaissance UAVs which have been seized by the Lebanese military from a Hezbollah depot.I suppose they have been from obtained from Syria.Images by @ALJADEEDNEWS pic.twitter.com/1ajKQhPZEq
— Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) January 6, 2026
Saying that the Lebanese Military “dismantled” a Hezbollah facility, and probably unofficially quoting officers from the service, the put up by Al Jadeed mentioned: “Al-Jadeed obtained pictures from inside a Hezbollah facility between Kafr Kamma and Siddiqin within the south, which the Lebanese Military had entered about two weeks in the past, and it’s a giant facility that’s nonetheless being dismantled as much as this hour.”
Attention-grabbing footage displaying what appears to be like like Russian Tu-143 Reys reconnaissance UAVs which have been seized by the Lebanese military from a Hezbollah depot.I suppose they have been from obtained from Syria.Images by @ALJADEEDNEWS pic.twitter.com/1ajKQhPZEq
— Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) January 6, 2026
As we’ll clarify subsequently, the Tu-143 and the Tu-141 Strizh, an identical trying system, have been additionally utilized by Ukraine, who bought it from its older Soviet-era shares, in opposition to Russian targets between late-2022 to mid-2023. Each programs are high-speed optical and digital reconnaissance drones and are runway-independent, because of the rocket-assisted launch.
Their prepared stockpile, cheaper and technically less complicated – but probably not at all times profitable – permits each mass and surgical strikes. With one other non-state actor just like the Houthis extra efficiently displaying how Western militaries could be overwhelmed with uneven capabilities, the latter have initiated their very own packages to amass that “reasonably priced fight mass.”
Tu-141 Reys with Hezbollah
The picture exhibits three models of the Tu-141/DR-3, with their entrance warhead sections lacking. It’s unclear whether or not they have been present in that dismantled state or have been deactivated by the Lebanese Military upon raiding the power.
Typically, operators preserve the warhead and supply programs of enormous weapons separate to stop accidents, or explosions throughout unintentional launches. The Lebanese Military additionally didn’t report eventual firefights with Hezbollah cadres, not less than on this explicit raid.
במסגרת התקיפות הותקפו טילי שיוט המגיעים לטווח של מאות קילומטרים, רקטות עתירות משקל, רקטות קטלניות בעלי ראש נפץ של כ-1,000 קילוגרמים, רקטות קצרות טווח, כלי טיס בלתי מאוישים וחמושים מסוג ‘ציאד 107’>> pic.twitter.com/YoM9OfXmXj
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) September 23, 2024
The IDF’s September 2024 video of the strikes in opposition to Hezbollah confirmed how the weapon was hidden inside civilian buildings. Israel may have probably used munitions with man-in-the-loop management right here, which embody weapons just like the Spike Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), Spice guided bombs, Delilah cruise missiles, and even the Harop kamikaze drone.
About how the Tu-143 ended up with Hezbollah, probably the most believable rationalization is the alliance with Russia and the deposed Assad regime in Syria. Lebanese Hezbollah commanders had claimed “instantly receiving long-range tactical missiles, laser guided rockets, and anti-tank weapons” in its “no strings connected” relationship with Moscow, The Each day Beast reported in January 2016.
IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari exposing Hezbollah’s approach of firing missiles from civilian houses, and the way the IDF plans on dismantling it: pic.twitter.com/smkfjv6VDh
— Israel Protection Forces (@IDF) September 23, 2024
Syria was additionally aligned with the then Soviet Union throughout the 1982 Israel-Lebanon Conflict. Inside Lebanon, Hezbollah has an enormous community of underground amenities to retailer its array of missiles and ordnance, that it marketed in a August 2024 publicity video.
Tu-143 Reys and Tu-141 Strizh use in Ukraine
The Tu-143 Reys and Tu-141 Strizh have appeared earlier than within the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The latter emerged for the primary time in pictures of a wreckage on Mar. 8, 2022.
#Ukraine: We have now managed to identifiy new wreckage, and might verify a Ukrainian drone was shot down!
Nevertheless, it’s not the TB-2, however the Chilly conflict period Tupolev Tu-141 reconnaissance drone; observe the touchdown gear/KR-17A engine.
More likely to be UA operated, however potential Russian decoy. pic.twitter.com/MOP454BWPH
— Polymarket Intel (@PolymarketIntel) March 8, 2022
The drone that crashed in #Zagreb final night time got here into #Croatia from Hungary flying at 700km/h at altitude of 1300 meters.
No casualties reported, nonetheless unclear who launched the soviet-era drone. pic.twitter.com/fFMWjBr2EG
— Based mostly Croatia (@Based_Croatia) March 11, 2022
Then on Mar. 11, 2022, one other crashed in Croatia, with observers later figuring out the pilotless flying plane because the Soviet-era Tu-141 Strizh. On that event, the official Croatian assertion mentioned that the unmanned plane flew in from Ukraine, flying at over 500 knots and at 1,300 meters (about 4,000 toes) of altitude.
The Tu-143 Reys in the meantime made its first look on Apr. 12, 2022, after the Russian Ministry of Protection introduced three days later its air protection programs shot it down. Subsequent pictures of shoot downs appeared on Jun. 29, 2022 close to the Kursk Oblast.
The largest strikes occurred on Dec. 5, 2022, and Dec. 26, 2022, on Russia’s Engels and Dyagilevo air bases, when Russia claimed Ukraine used the Tu-141 Strizh. This was adopted by a Strizh crash in Russia’s Kaluga Oblast on Feb. 6, 2023, and Feb. 8, 2023, at Tuapse within the Krasnodar area, whereas allegedly trying to strike an oil depot.
#Ukraine: A Ukrainian Tu-143 Reys unmanned reconnaissance plane was shot down by the Russian forces in #Kharkiv. Such out of date drones are believed for use to attract out positions of enemy air protection programs. pic.twitter.com/Ix9FhOMe4N
— Polymarket Intel (@PolymarketIntel) April 12, 2022
The objectives behind their use in opposition to Russia have been assessed from long-range, high-speed, ground-launched surface-strike missiles and baits/decoys for air protection programs – both for follow-on strikes, or figuring out the placement of Russia’s anti-air batteries. Russia had additionally alleged Ukraine modified the Strizh with U.S. assist following the Feb. 6, 2023, assault.
Zvezda, a RuMoD publication, particularly accused U.S. protection main Raytheon and Ukrainian state protection export firm Ukoroboronprom collaborating to tweak the Tu-141 Strizh’s navigation system. RuMoD had attributed these downings to a mixture of devoted air protection fireplace, digital warfare (EW) jamming, and natural failure throughout the drones themselves.
#Russia: A Ukrainian Tu-143 Reys unmanned plane was shot down above #Kursk Oblast this night time.There are stories that these out of date drones have been tailored to hold explosives and now used as Ersatz-ballistic missiles with a spread of greater than 100km. pic.twitter.com/2TpALhGylB
— Polymarket Intel (@PolymarketIntel) June 29, 2022
Reys and Strizh
Round 150 Tu-141 Strizh models have been produced on the Kharkiv plane plant between 1979 and 1989, two years earlier than the Soviet Union dissolved. The models going to Ukraine have been included into the 321st Separate UAV Squadron based mostly in Odessa.
A Ukrainian UAV (reportedly a Tu-141 Strizh) crashed in Kaluga after hitting bushes. It was carrying an OFAB-100-120 high-explosive bomb. pic.twitter.com/cSKv9Nc9oA
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) February 6, 2023
With a most velocity of 1,110 km/hour, a prime service ceiling of 19,685 toes (6,000 meters), and a spread of as much as 1,000 km, the high-speed reconnaissance plane carried electro-optical gadgets, infrared imagers, and imaging radars. It may fly and return alongside pre-programmed routes in its navigation system.
Imad 4: Hezbollah reveals its underground capabilities.
Enormous tunnels inside mountaintops, dozens of rocket launchers. pic.twitter.com/NKP0Ydl57E
— Conflict Report (@clashreport) August 16, 2024
The Tu-143 Reys in the meantime is a smaller, scaled-down system, with TV, optical, electro-magnetic and infrared sensors, with each drones being recovered by way of a parachute. It’s eight meters lengthy, a wing span of two.24 meters, weighs 1,230 kg, a prime velocity of 950 km/hour, service ceiling of 1,000 meters. The IDF says it has a spread of 124 miles (200 km) and might ship a 600-pound (300 kg) warhead.
