NGRNDual-Use Hypersonics for Ukraine and Europe
Analysis by Consortium for Defence Information
An Assessment of Destinus’ Capabilities
To bolster its defence capabilities, Ukraine may explore the potential of hypersonic developments from private foreign companies already providing military assistance to the country.
One such company is Destinus, which has set ambitious objectives: the development of an autonomous near-space hypersonic aircraft (or UAV) powered by liquid hydrogen, alongside the creation of a passenger hypersonic airliner.
Destinus aims to revolutionise air transport with a hybrid hypersonic aircraft that integrates a turbojet engine using hydrogen fuel for take-off, landing, and subsonic/supersonic flight, supplemented by a separate ramjet engine capable of accelerating the aircraft to hypersonic speeds on select flight segments. The projected flight duration between Paris and New York, for instance, is expected to be only 1.5 hours.
Practical Developments
In trials conducted in 2022, Destinus engineers successfully accelerated hypersonic UAV prototypes to Mach 5 (over 6,100 km/h). The tests involved waverider-designed airframes equipped with hydrogen engines developed by the Spanish company ITP Aero.
At the Paris Air Show in June 2023, Destinus unveiled a demonstrator of its third-generation autonomous system, Destinus 3. This advanced 10-metre, two-tonne prototype was reportedly fitted with a patented hydrogen combustion efficiency enhancement system and a new autopilot system. Since then, the company has continued development, though publicly available information on its activities has diminished.
About Destinus
Destinus is a private European aerospace company specialising in aerospace and defence solutions. Founded in 2021 by entrepreneur Mikhail Kokorich in Switzerland (based at the Payerne airfield), the company employs approximately 100 engineers and aerodynamicists across various European locations, including Germany, France, and Spain, with offices in Madrid, Paris, Toulouse, Munich, and Hengelo.
Since 2022, Destinus has secured substantial funding, particularly for its supersonic hydrogen flight programme. Publicly available sources indicate that investors include Swiss firms Conny&Co and Ace&Company, along with US-based Liquid2 Ventures, Quiet Capital, Cathexis Ventures, and One Way Ventures, among others. However, the funds raised to date remain insufficient to achieve the company’s stated objectives.
Strategic Collaborations
In June 2022, Destinus and Spanish engine manufacturer ITP Aero agreed to jointly develop a hydrogen engine testbed, demonstrating their hydrogen combustion research in collaboration with the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (NIAT). This initiative, supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Defence, was classified as a strategic priority under Spain’s Aeronautical Technology Plan (PTA). The grant is funding the construction of a hydrogen propulsion test site near Madrid, with Destinus playing a key role in further development and testing.
In April 2023, Destinus acquired Dutch industrial gas turbine manufacturer OPRA, renaming it Destinus Energy.
Leadership and Background
Destinus’ founder and CEO, Mikhail Kokorich, is of Russian origin. In 2011, he established Dauria Aerospace, Russia’s first private space company, which collaborated with Roscosmos on microsatellite projects. Facing business-related difficulties with Russian authorities, he subsequently relocated to the United States.
After leaving Russia, Kokorich spent over a decade in the US, where he founded Momentus Space in 2017. The company focused on space logistics, developing a space tug for transporting payloads to Earth’s orbit. However, in 2021, US authorities denied Momentus Space an operating licence due to national security concerns. Kokorich was compelled to exit the company and move to Switzerland, where he launched Destinus to develop hypersonic aircraft and UAVs.
Destinus’ Support for Ukraine
Ukraine’s Defence Forces have procured various UAVs from Destinus. Kokorich confirmed in an interview with the French publication Challenges that Ukraine is among the company’s key customers, with over 100 UAVs delivered monthly.
The drones supplied are reportedly dual-use. Since Q2 2023, Ukraine has received the Lord UAV (with a range exceeding 750 km), followed by the high-speed mini-drone Hornet (capable of reaching 300 km/h and intercepting hostile UAVs) and the jet-powered Ruta UAV, which has a 300 km range and can serve as a strike drone, reconnaissance platform, or aerial target. However, there is no publicly available photographic or video evidence of the Lord or Hornet UAVs.
In December 2024, during the presentation of Ukraine’s National Prize named after Borys Paton, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the Ruta missile-drone was undergoing successful trials. No technical details were disclosed, but Destinus’ website previously featured a schematic of a cruise missile or jet-powered drone under the name Ruta, showing key components such as a warhead, fixed wing, fuel tank, avionics, and a compact turbojet engine.
The description suggested that Ruta employs a rocket booster for launch and is a cost-effective solution given its size, payload, and speed. Additionally, at Eurosatory 2024 in France, Ukraine’s Ukrspecexport (the state arms trading intermediary) displayed a cruise missile model from Destinus, albeit of a different design, possibly a full-scale mock-up.
Conclusions
- Expanding Ukraine’s Long-Range Arsenal
Ukraine has the opportunity to expand its long-range strike capabilities by leveraging the expertise of private defence firms already collaborating with the country. Destinus’ hypersonic technology could complement existing cruise missile projects. The potential for hypersonic UAVs to undertake various military missions should be assessed, particularly regarding their role within Ukraine’s deterrence forces or, in a broader context, as part of Europe’s collective deterrence architecture.
- Leveraging Strategic Partnerships
Ukraine could explore its existing connections within Destinus to evaluate the feasibility of deeper collaboration. Notably, one of Kokorich’s associates in the company is Oleksandr Danyliuk, a former Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council. At the 2023 Paris Air Show, where Destinus showcased multiple hypersonic UAV prototypes, Danyliuk presented himself as the company’s Head of Aviation.
- Navigating Swiss Regulatory Constraints
Given Switzerland’s neutrality, there are legal restrictions on the use of Swiss-developed military technology in armed conflicts. Swiss authorities have already raised concerns about Destinus’ work with Ukraine. Any expansion of cooperation must consider these risks. A possible approach would involve establishing ‘competency centres’ outside Switzerland and securing a pan-European status for such projects. This would require confirming the cost-effectiveness of hypersonic UAVs (single-use or reusable) for various military and dual-use missions.