According to reports, the Biden administration is about to supply the Ukrainian military with 100 units of the lightweight Switchblade missile system. The Switchblade is a baguette-sized bomb with a six-mile range, and the shipment to the United States will cost around £600 million. The missile setup is small enough to fit in a backpack and, unlike most missiles, does not require a target before launch.

When the Switchblade missile is launched, it can fly over enemy lines, identifying and then striking battlefield command and control headquarters.

The ability to fire missiles in volleys, which Russia claims cannot be countered by other naval targets, is a distinguishing feature of its weapons system.

“The significance of this event is difficult to overestimate,” Admiralty Shipyards CEO Alexander Buzakov said at the time of its unveiling.

Seven Russian high-ranking military figures are believed to have been killed by Ukrainian forces since the conflict began.

US soldiers used the Switchblade in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The missile system resembles a miniature aircraft propelled by a small propeller.

It does not need to be launched with a target; instead, it flies at about 60mph for up to 15 minutes, relaying video of the terrain to its controller via an optical camera.

The missile can then stalk its target until it is close enough to make an impact nose-dive.

In the early stages of the war, the Ukrainians used the US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles to great effect.

The 20kg weapon, however, requires a large launcher and has a range of only two and a half miles.

The much lighter Switchblade has a six-mile range, but it is ineffective against tanks or armoured vehicles.

According to military intelligence, the weapon system will be critical in the next phase of the war.

It has the potential to erode Russian troops’ morale by making them feel vulnerable to surprise attacks.

Ukraine had about 30 Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones in the early stages of the war, which targeted Russian tanks and destroyed vital Russian supply lines.

Ukraine has used Warmate drones made in Poland, which weigh 5.3kg and can fly three miles before diving at targets and exploding.

Ukraine is also jamming signals in order to bring down Russian drones.

The bogus signals confuse the enemy drones.