Ukraine’s Interceptor Drones Shoot Down 150 Russian UAVs in One Night
Ukrainian interceptor drones shot down 150 Russian strike and trap drones in one night, demonstrating the growing effectiveness of domestic technologies in countering Moscow's massive attacks.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Business Insider, citing an address by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to the Ukrainian President, Russia launched a total of 810 aircraft, including more than 400 Shahed drones. This means that almost a fifth of the enemy wave was successfully intercepted by the new system that Ukraine is actively producing and increasing in large quantities.
Interceptor drones were originally designed to destroy reconnaissance aircraft, but with the advent of Shahed, Ukraine has reoriented them to combat loitering munitions.
These high-speed drones are capable of pursuing a target in the air and crashing into it, and many are equipped with first-person cameras, allowing the operator to guide the system to the target in real time.
The cost of one interceptor ranges from $2,000 to $6,000, while Shahed costs about $35,000 per unit. Thus, Ukraine receives a cost-effective means of countering massive enemy attacks.
Importantly, much of the production is decentralized, with various Ukrainian companies creating their own models and supplying them to air defense units in coordination with the government.
Despite the success, Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine's air defense system needs further strengthening.
“Of course, not everything is being shot down yet, and we still need to further strengthen our air defenses,” Zelenskyy said.
Moreover, Russia is increasingly launching hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles simultaneously, overwhelming existing defenses, from surface-to-air missiles to mobile fire teams.
"This is a top priority… Russians keep the number of Shaheds in massive strikes at the level of 300 to 400 per strike, and our interceptors must reach a matching level,” the President of Ukraine stated.
As The Gaze informed earlier, Ukraine is ramping up its domestic drone manufacturing capabilities, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy setting an ambitious target of producing at least 1,000 interceptor drones per day to bolster the country’s air defense.