When President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said at the end of last month that Ukraine needs $6 billion to fund the production of interceptor drones, setting a target of 1,000 a day, he had his reasons.

Kyiv

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

Ukraine has shifted its air defense strategy by deploying interceptor drones to counter Russian attacks, a role previously filled by long-range missiles and artillery. With missile stocks running low, these drones have become essential, offering a cost-effective solution to down enemy reconnaissance and kamikaze drones.

The drones, piloted from the ground and often supplied by military charities, have significantly restricted Russian drone operations over Ukrainian-held territory. According to Ukrainian military sources, over 3,000 enemy drones have been downed using this equipment, with nearly half of those successes occurring recently.

Ukraine bets big on interceptor drones as low-cost air shield

The use of interceptor drones by Ukraine to defend against Russian attacks has reshaped the battlefield by doing work once reserved for long-range missiles, field artillery and human intelligence. The interceptors are crucial as Ukraine's stock of air defense missiles start to dwindle. Serhiy Nanka is the colonel of Ukraine's 1,129th Air Defense Regiment. Before our regiment started using interceptor drones, the enemy used to fly his reconnaissance drones quite deep into Ukrainian-held territory. But because interceptor drones became a real thing, they fly very carefully now. When they dare to fly in deep, the air defense works successfully. Some estimates put the interceptor's speed at over 190 miles per hour, although the precise figures are closely guarded. And according to Nanka, it can down a Russian spotter drone at about a fifth of the cost of doing so with a missile. In the three and a half years since Russia invaded Ukraine at scale, drones have gone from an auxiliary tool to one of the primary means of waging war for both sides. Ukrainian forces are using interceptors to hit the long-range Shahed Kamikaze drones that Russia launches at Kiev and other cities. To chase them down, interceptor drones need to be faster and more powerful than those that have already revolutionized long-range precision strikes and aerial reconnaissance. They are flown by a pilot on the ground through the video feed from an on-board camera. Most of the regiment's interceptor drones are provided by military charities, like the Comeback Alive Foundation, that crowdfund weapons and equipment through donations from civilians. Since the project began a year ago, the organization says over 3,000 enemy drones have been downed by equipment it provided, nearly half of them in the last two months.

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Ukraine bets big on interceptor drones as low-cost air shield

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Ukraine Invasion