Ту-143 «Рейс»

The Tupolev Tu-143 Rejs is a Soviet reconnaissance drone from the 1970s, preserved here as an open-air memorial exhibit. Developed by the Tupolev design bureau and fielded from 1976 under the military designation VR-3, the Tu-143 flew fully automated surveillance missions and was recovered by parachute after each sortie — an advanced concept for its era. The Kharkiv example offers a rare close-up look at Cold War Soviet unmanned aerial technology.