Ukrainian Engineers Develop Training Drones Mimicking “Shaheds”

Ukrainian engineers have successfully created training drones named “Hupalo” designed to simulate the flight patterns of the infamous “Shahed” drones used by Russia.

The mayor of Ivan Frankivsk, a city in western Ukraine, Ruslan Martsinkiv announced on his official website that the drones were developed as part of the “Vitruhan” project. These innovative flying targets provide a realistic training tool for Ukraine’s air defense units.

“These unique aerial targets are the work of Ukrainian engineers and specialists under the “Vitruhan” initiative. The “Hupalo” drones serve as a domestic answer to the enemy’s “Shahed” – an effective replica that helps our forces prepare more thoroughly,” Martsinkiv said.

Thanks to their lightweight construction, the drones are easy to launch and operate. They can remain airborne for up to an hour, reach speeds of up to 125 km/h, and crucially, mimic the low-altitude flight of Shaheds.

“This realistic simulation is vital for air defense troops. It allows them to train through every stage from target detection and tracking to neutralization, under conditions closely replicating actual threats,” Martsinkiv emphasized.

Through these efforts, Ukraine’s air defense forces continue to strengthen their capabilities, providing greater assurance that future enemy drone incursions will be intercepted and neutralized.

Last year, Ukraine and its partners produced 1.5 million drones, reflecting a significant scale-up in drone manufacturing capacity.

As The Gaze reported earlier, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence has officially presented its latest maritime weapon, the Magura V7 unmanned surface vehicle (USV), marking a new era in modern naval warfare.