The Kurchatov Institute is working on the world's first hydrogen-powered drone, according to the institution's president, Mikhail Kovalchuk.
He recalled that the USSR created the world's first hydrogen-powered aircraft — Tu-154. Despite successful tests, the project was not developed further and was shut down.
We are now making the world's first hydrogen-powered drone.
Kovalchuk did not disclose the technical specifications of the future product or the timeline for the project.
Timofey Sergeenko, an engineer at the "Hydrogen Energy Center," said in August 2025 that hydrogen in the drone could be stored in a composite cylinder under a pressure of 350 atmospheres.
The estimated flight time of such a drone is 4 hours without payload. The take-off weight is 18 kg, and the maximum payload is 5 kg.