Record-Breaking Ukrainian Interceptor Drone Outpaces F1 Cars
A Ukrainian interceptor drone powered by a propeller engine has reached a record-breaking speed that surpasses the maximum performance of Formula 1 cars.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Business Insider.
According to Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, the record speed was demonstrated by a drone equipped with a Ukrainian-made engine produced by Motor-G, a member of the Brave1 defense innovation platform.
What makes this achievement particularly notable is that the drone is not jet-powered but is instead a relatively simple and low-cost interceptor using propeller-driven thrust. This allows it to combine very high speed with scalability and affordability, as such drones typically cost only a few thousand dollars.
“The key advantage of Ukrainian engines is their adaptation to real battlefield conditions. This gives drones the necessary speed, endurance, and reliability in the most challenging environments,” the minister wrote.
The push to increase the speed of interceptor drones has been a direct response to the evolution of Russian Shahed-type attack drones.
At the same time, these developments reflect a deeper transformation of Ukraine’s defense industry.
“Just two years ago, serial production of such engines in Ukraine seemed impossible — today, more and more drones are flying on motors made in Ukraine,” Fedorov added.
Production has now scaled to hundreds of thousands of such engines per month. As a result, Ukraine is not only strengthening its own air defense capabilities but is also laying the groundwork for the future export of combat technologies tested in real wartime conditions.
Ukraine’s interceptor drones are rapidly emerging as one of the country’s most advanced and combat-proven defense technologies, increasingly attracting the attention of foreign partners seeking effective answers to modern aerial threats.
For example, France has deepened cooperation through defense AI company Alta Ares, which has partnered with Ukrainian engineers to launch serial production of interceptor drones, opened a representative office in Ukraine, and adapted its Pixel-Lock AI guidance system to Ukrainian battlefield needs. The system is already being used to detect, track, and intercept a wide range of aerial targets, from FPV drones to guided aerial bombs.
At the same time, the United Kingdom is playing a key role in Ukraine’s interceptor drone development through the Octopus project. Octopus is a joint Ukrainian-British initiative that has now entered full-scale production.
Designed by Ukrainian engineers and validated in combat, the interceptor is optimized for night operations, heavy electronic warfare, and extremely low-altitude engagements. British-Ukrainian cooperation has helped accelerate the transition from prototype to mass production, with plans to scale output dramatically.
Ukraine, however, is not standing still. As Russia deploys faster, jet-powered Shahed variants, Ukrainian developers continue to refine and introduce new interceptor platforms.
High-speed systems such as the Sting drone have already demonstrated the ability to engage jet-driven UAVs in mid-air at a fraction of the cost of traditional air-defense missiles, underscoring Ukraine’s position as a global frontrunner in rapidly evolving interceptor drone technology.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Ukraine is challenging global giant DJI by creating its own “sky fighters” to replace Chinese Mavic drones.
Read more on The Gaze: Global Drone Production Relies on Ukraine's Experience