The Ukrainian military has begun systematically shooting down Russian Shahed drones with interceptor drones. According to the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, fighters from the Darknode unit of the 412th Nemesis Regiment successfully destroyed 100 enemy strike UAVs, including 76 Shaheds and 24 Gerbers—simplified modifications of the Shahed-136 produced in Russia.
The SBS stressed that this is the first time in modern warfare that long-range strike drones have been systematically intercepted by other drones. This approach is cost-effective, as the cost of an air defense missile can reach $1 million, while an interceptor drone costs about $5,000.
The forces of unmanned systems are actively scaling up this direction to compensate for the shortage of traditional air defense means and strengthen the protection of Ukrainian cities from terrorist attacks by the Russian Federation, the SBS report says.
Over the past two weeks, the number of successful interceptions has increased by 40 units, demonstrating the high effectiveness of the latest technologies in the fight against Russian drones.
Ukraine is actively developing interceptor drones capable of effectively combating Russian strike UAVs. One of these devices was officially presented to the Belgian delegation in April 2025.
The drone has reportedly destroyed more than 20 Shahed-136 UAVs in the past two months. It can also be used against enemy reconnaissance drones. Although the exact specifications remain classified, it is known that the drone has a maximum speed of 200 km/h and a flight altitude of up to 5 km.
In addition, as reported in Defense Express, Ukrainian developers are working on specialized "anti-Shahed" models, such as the Sting, which has a speed of up to 280 km/h and automatic targeting. Also, according to the publication, at the end of last year, Ukraine tested the German-made Tytan anti-aircraft drone, which can reach 300 km/h and has a range of 20 km. This drone can be controlled using the Steam Deck game console from Valve.