Innovative Portuguese TEKEVER drones surprise Russia
- Portugal Business News - Valerie Charoux
- Aug 4
- 2 min read
Defence News Europe - An innovative Portuguese TEKEVER AR3 drone surprises Russian authorities because they had never seen anything like it before, since the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) had a different tail and wing structure, according to statement by a Russian Commander on August 3, 2026:
Russian forces destroyed a surprising Portuguese reconnaissance drone produced by Portuguese company Tekever that supplies drones to Ukraine, according to a Russian military official in a news report by the official Russian news agency TASS. Moreover, the military offfcial that reported to the TASS news agency stated that the task of intercepting the Portuguese drone "was challenging":
“After radar detection, a chase of almost 30 minutes began. The aircraft was circling at an altitude of about 2.5 kilometers at a speed of 90-100 kilometers per hour, preventing them from getting closer. On the final approach, the Lis's battery was running low, but the crew still managed to capture the Portuguese reconnaissance drone” - Russian military official report to TASS news agency.
It is to be noted that a Li–S battery is a lithium–sulfur battery that is a type of rechargeable battery.
The Portuguese Tekever AR3 drone that was intercepted by Russian forces in the Briansk border region by their anti-drone battalion was "transferred to a research institute, where specialists will study its design, technical specifications, and engineering solutions." Although the Tekever AR3 drone was intercepted by Russian forces, it remained intact with only the engine being damaged.
Russia´s anti-drone battalion shoots down reconnaissance UAVs, since they not only map out routes for enemy drones to fly, but they also search for Russian positions to attack.
What is the TEKEVER AR3 drone?
The Tekever AR3 is a reconnaissance drone that is used for long-duration operations, since it can last up to 16 hours, and has a system that allows the operator to easily choose which configuration to use for each specific mission.
According to TEKEVER, there is no stronger validation than the experience of those who rely on autonomous systems in the most demanding operational environments.
"The TEKEVER AR3 drone is one of the most powerful reconnaissance assets in the arsenal of the 'Raid' regiment's operators. A key feature of the TEKEVER AR3 is its modular architecture. It allows the payload and communication equipment to be quickly reconfigured for specific missions." - according to a TEKEVER description of the AR3 drone.
Here are the images of the TEKEVER AR3 drone in the field:
