Fighting Drones with Bullets: A New Tactic in Ukraine

Anti-drone rifle bullets have been used in the war in Ukraine to combat Russian cheap drones, providing ground troops with a safer way to fight them, the Gaze reports, citing Business Insider.  

While Russian troops began experimenting with similar munitions last winter, Ukraine's defense innovation program presented its own version in late June. 

"The goal is for every infantryman to carry these NATO-codified cartridges, enabling them to react quickly to aerial threats," the government organization Brave1 wrote. 

As explained, this technology will allow soldiers to fire a bullet that passes a certain distance before dispersing scattered pellets and hitting the drone. 

This could allow infantry to start shooting at drones from a safer distance than Ukrainian units currently do with a shotgun. This innovation is also important because the use of fiber-optic drones in the Russia-Ukraine war has been increasing recently. These are the drones that receive signals through thin cables and cannot be suppressed by electronic warfare. 

The report also points out the convenience of this new approach to fighting drones: “As a result, many units carry 12-gauge shotguns with them. A new anti-drone bullet could allow infantry to simply bring extra rifle cartridges instead of a whole separate firearm.” 

It is noted that this type of round has already appeared among the Russian military before. 

In November 2024, Russian troops began using new rifle bullets designed to combat drones. They have a modified tip that disperses small elements capable of hitting drones when fired. Apparently, these bullets are handmade, and it is unclear how widely they are used in the military. 

The Gaze has previously reported on Ukraine's deployment of tens of thousands of interceptor drones to counter Russia's constant attacks using Iranian-made Shahed drones.