The military, along with volunteers and weapons manufacturers, have no hope of finding a recipe for countering FPV drones.
One of the first means of protection against drones was electronic warfare (EW) systems, which jam the operating frequencies of drones. But they do not guarantee safety, as there is a chronic shortage of EW on the front lines, and enemy drones are constantly evolving technologically and changing frequencies.
Since the beginning of 2025, fiber-optic drones, invulnerable to electronic warfare, have become widespread on the battlefield, and it is generally unclear how to defend against them. In addition, the enemy has more drones, which allows him to hunt for each individual soldier, and not just "fat" targets.
If electronic warfare is not working, the next line of defense is fishing nets, "barbecues", camouflage, tunnels, burrows. But this is mostly about protecting static positions.
And what to do when the threat of a drone arises right during movement? On foot, in a car, buggy or motorcycle, on the roof of an armored vehicle. The situation in which a soldier is left alone against an FPV drone is quite common.
Personal protective equipment can be a salvation: net guns, shotguns, a machine gun with specialized cartridges, etc. Currently, the Ukrainian army is testing various means to give the infantryman another chance to survive in a duel with an FPV drone.
Run, hide, shoot
The military realized that there were only three possible courses of action during a drone attack: try to escape, hoping the pilot would miss; hide so that the drone wouldn't notice; or open fire in return.
It is not always possible to hide and escape. But for destructive fire, the military began to use ordinary assault rifles and shotguns. "If you take a standard "Kalash", put a collimator (optical sight), then you can work out quite qualitatively on a drone. But still, a pump-action shotgun is the best option," - the operator of FPV drones with the call sign "Demon" tells Defense.
However, the rifle, which became one of the first means of actively combating drones, has a number of significant drawbacks.
It is bulky, heavy, requires certain skills to use, not every fighter has it, and at a critical moment it can jam. A similar incident occurred with a soldier of the 4th SSO Regiment: while trying to shoot down a drone, the rifle malfunctioned, and the fighter was forced to repel the FPV with his bare hands.
Guns alone are clearly not enough to systematically counter drones.
That's why engineers started looking for new solutions. This is how the so-called "last-chance means" appeared - net missiles and special anti-drone rounds.
Manufacturers have appeared on the Ukrainian market, presenting their own net guns – Ptashka Drones with its Ptashka and TENETA with its MITLA. "This is a chance that everyone should have," says Artur Shaginyan, developer of the MITLA net gun.
They work like a pneumatic or starter gun, capable of firing a net 25–30 meters away. The 3.5 by 3.5 meter net blocks the drone's propellers, causing it to fall.
The products differ in details. The Ptashka is reusable and can be equipped with several cartridges. The cost depends on the configuration and ranges from 7900 to 19,500 hryvnias. One combat cartridge with a mesh costs 1500 hryvnias.
In turn, the MITLA is disposable, but more compact and lighter than the Ptashka. The Sitcom weighs approximately 300 grams. The cost of one product is 3,500 hryvnias.
"I once gave a volunteer three sitcoms, and during the evacuation they were able to shoot down two drones. It seems to me that this is the most effective way to use them on a car," shares Shahinyan.
However, such means also have risks. In particular, there is a possibility that the net will provoke the detonation of the drone's warhead. "Russian drones mainly fly on "whiskers", which initiate the explosion. The net can close them, which will lead to an explosion," warns "Demon".
The developers acknowledge this problem: "I understand the skepticism of the military, but in case someone finds themselves in a one-on-one situation with an FPV drone, in my opinion it's better to have a net gun," comments Yevgeny Sukhinin, founder of Ptashka Drones.
Despite limited numbers in the military, training using the net guns is already underway. In February 2025, the Defense Forces tested the new devices at training grounds with drones.
According to soldiers from various brigades interviewed by Defense, cases of using net guns at the front remain isolated so far, mainly due to their shortage.
"We are moving towards codification so that it can be purchased by the state in normal quantities. We have already had meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Defense, but there are some bureaucratic nuances that do not allow us to do everything faster," shares Sukhinin.
Similar processes are currently taking place in TENETA: "We are currently preparing for certification. Parts are already waiting to be able to purchase sitcomets with state funds," says Shahinyan. And he adds: "A net gun is like a turnstile: it is better that you never have to use it, but everyone should have it."
In addition to certification, the developers continue to work on improving their own net guns. "We are currently working on increasing the range to 30-35 meters and 20 meters of net coverage area. We want to try to make it even more multi-chargeable," Sukhinin summarizes.
Silver bullet vs. drone
The first anti-drone cartridges appeared in artisanal conditions. They were created by the military themselves, experimenting with the conversion of cartridges for rifles and machine guns. According to the plan, with such cartridges, any weapon should turn into a shotgun.
For 5.45 and 5.56 caliber assault rifles, the bullets were replaced with several pellets compressed into heat shrink, epoxy, or a plastic shell from a 3D printer.
Such a homemade device had obvious drawbacks: an unadapted design could damage the weapon, and its effectiveness itself remained questionable.
"We tried to work with such cartridges, but they didn't even penetrate the target at 20 meters. How they are supposed to shoot down a drone is hard to imagine," says "Demon."
According to him, these cartridges should imitate a shotgun, but the limitation of the machine gun cartridge case does not provide the necessary power: "You can choose a larger fraction from a shotgun, which has a greater chance of damaging the drone. And for the "drone killer" for the Kalash to really work, you need to change the entire design of the cartridges."
Gostri Kartuzy previously published the results of defeating a drone with such ammunition and noted that a regular bullet would be more effective in many cases.
It became clear that implementing the idea with cartridges required the work of engineers and a systematic approach.
Earlier it became known about the start of the development of industrial anti-drone ammunition. Their main goal is to create an effective warhead for them, capable of reliably shooting down drones.
In a comment, Brave1 confirmed Defense that these rounds are already being used on the front, but so far they remain a not very common means of combating FPV drones.
"Its informal name is Horoshok. I have already shot this cartridge and shot down more than one FPV," Taras Oliinyk, an officer-instructor for fire training at the National Military University, wrote on Militarnyi.
These anti-drone rounds have already been codified. Several more samples are on their way to being codified. At the same time, their production is being scaled up to ensure a larger number of units and increase the probability of interception.
The Come Back Alive charity foundation also joined in on the creation of the anti-drone rounds. In their video, they shared details about their design.
The cartridge case is made of reinforced lead, which holds three 5 mm diameter brass balls behind it. One of the key advantages of these cartridges is the high velocity of the striking elements - twice that of smooth-bore rifles: 800 m/s versus 400 m/s.
Thanks to these changes, during shootings it was possible to shoot down an FPV drone at a range of 35-60 meters.
"If someone buys a smoothbore rifle, they definitely need training, shooting at targets. Moving targets are a serious challenge for any shooter," says Taras Oliinyk.
Unlike a shotgun, these cartridges allow you to create a "cloud of scree", that is, a dense fire of pellets, thanks to constant fire. "You need to press the trigger as quickly as possible, roughly following the target along its trajectory with a slight lead. And then with each subsequent shot your chances of hitting the drone increase," Taras explains.
A separate danger is posed by the drone's combat unit. While a net gun blocks the propellers and dampens the drone's speed, anti-drone rounds do not dampen its inertia.
This means that a downed drone can fall nearby and detonate. "First, you need to take good cover. And only then, if there is no other way out, open fire," advises Taras Oliinyk. The foundation's senior sniping instructor Ruslan Shpakovich noted: "The new bullets will not replace electronic warfare systems, but they can become additional protection when there is no cover or time to destroy the drone in another way."
DrukArmy is also involved in a similar project. The volunteer community has set up 3D printing of anti-drone shotgun adapters for automatic cartridges for the Ukrainian military. The military can receive them for free, for this you need to register on the website and undergo verification.
Preparation is the key to survival
There are many last-chance means, but the key factor determining a soldier's survival on the battlefield remains his training.
Shooting accurately, moving, finding cover, and interacting with your teammates - all of this combined significantly increases your chances of staying alive.
In November 2024, a new course was introduced as part of basic combined military training (BZVP), which included a program on countering drones.
Fighters are taught not only to use close-range electronic warfare equipment, but also to shoot down drones with 12-gauge shotguns and practice scenarios for dropping ammunition from quadcopters.
However, even such measures may not be enough. The Ukrainian military and the author of the Telegram channel "Who let the gaijin in here?" emphasizes that traditional tests, such as "tank run-in" (when a tank passes over a soldier in a trench), must now be adapted to new challenges.
In his opinion, training should include simulations of worst-case scenarios: surveillance, FPV strikes, and resets. Only in this way will a fighter understand how to act at a critical moment and get out of the strike alive.
"Demon" shares a similar opinion. He emphasizes: "The Russians have good pilots, so you can't just run away. You have to learn to hide in the thick "green", if there is one, and not let them notice you."
Effective drone defense is always a whole system that works on several levels simultaneously. It depends not only on how well each soldier is trained individually, but also on how well the entire unit operates, supporting each other in battle.
Timely threat detection and established communication can significantly reduce risks. "The best fight against FPV is normal communication and control of the sky. Normal PEP, clear tracking of routes and positions solve the vast majority of potential threats much more effectively than any weapon.
"You can accompany units, use the UAV for logistics, notify subordinates about drone activity, create alternative routes if vehicles or people are regularly lost somewhere, detect ambushes from the same "mavic" – all this is not difficult," a serviceman from one of the battalions of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) explained to Defense.
Drones have become one of the greatest threats to modern warfare, becoming commonplace on the front lines. That is why training to counter drone attacks should not be a secondary, but a mandatory element of training.
In the war of attrition imposed by Russia, the ability to reduce casualties is no less important than having the most modern equipment. After all, it is about saving people's lives and maintaining the combat capability of units.
A systemic approach – from government decisions and strategies to developing the skills of each soldier – can become the shield that will help protect our people from one of the most terrifying threats on the modern battlefield.