'Never seen anything like it': Russia downs rare Portuguese drone for study

Russian forces shot down a Portuguese Tekever AR3 reconnaissance drone and say they will study it as a "rare" model. The UAV was sent to a research institute, where experts will examine its design and technical specifications. Russia's state news agency reports that Russian forces have shot down a "rare" Portuguese-made drone operating with the Ukrainian army. The Tekever AR3 was brought down by a Russian anti-drone battalion in the border region of Bryansk, the unit's commander told TASS. "An enemy reconnaissance drone entered our sector. We were surprised because we had never seen anything like it. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) had a different structure at the tail and on the wings. When we reached the crash site, we found it was a Portuguese reconnaissance drone. It is important to shoot down reconnaissance UAVs because, firstly, they plot routes for enemy drones to fly along. Secondly, they are looking for our positions so that we can be attacked," the commander said. The commander of the Russian battalion, which operates the "Lis" interceptor drone (Fox, in Portuguese), told TASS that after they had shot down the Tekever AR3, it came down in one piece, although "the engine was damaged" and "the fuselage and most of the airframe remained intact". For that reason, and once they realised it was a "rare" model, the UAV was handed over to a research institute. According to TASS, Russian specialists will study its design and technical and engineering specifications. The AR3 model produced by Tekever (source in Portuguese) has a wingspan of almost 4 metres, weighs just 25 kilos and has a cruising speed of between 75 and 90 km/h and a communications range of up to 230 km; they are genuine "computers with wings", said Ricardo Mendes, CEO of Tekever, in an interview with Euronews. Founded in 2001, the company is the largest exporter of drones to Ukraine. In 2025, exports generated profits of more than 85 million euros. The unmanned systems (UAVs) produced by the company have strengthened trade relations between Portugal and Ukraine, with Ukraine climbing from 75th to 36th place in the national export rankings in just six years. The interception of this aircraft close to the border was described by the Russian army as very "challenging". According to the military, after it was detected by radar, the "Lis" interceptor began a chase lasting almost "30 minutes". The AR3 was circling at an altitude of about 2.5 kilometres, at a speed of 90-100 km/h, preventing them from getting close to it. On the final approach, the "Lis" battery was running low, but the crew nevertheless managed to catch and destroy the Portuguese reconnaissance drone," the soldiers said. The "Lis" is a drone specialised in air interception, developed in Moscow. The small fixed-wing UAV is equipped with a warhead of about 1 kg and an automatic target acquisition system. Once it detects a target by radar, it is launched to track it and, as soon as it locks onto the tail, it detonates its explosive charge, destroying the enemy UAV.