Ukraine is developing a three-phase strategy to counter Russian drones in the ongoing war, according Bild. The plan focuses on creating “anti-drone” drones capable of intercepting and destroying various types of Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
A Ukrainian officer told Bild that Russia’s air superiority is “breaking our necks,” citing long-range drones, fighter jets, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles as significant threats. However, conventional responses such as destroying Russian airfields using Western-supplied missiles are prohibited for Ukraine by the US and other missile suppliers.
Ukrainian FPV drones taking down 49 Russian reconnaissance UAVs
Ukraine continues using the first-person-view drones as UAV interceptors. The video shows the destruction of 36 Zalas, 7 Supercams, 5 Orlans, and 1 Lantset.
🎥 Signum drone unit of Ukraine's 93rd Mechanized Brigade,… pic.twitter.com/yHkD4AM92L— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 7, 2024
In response, Ukrainian military are working on innovative solutions. According to Bild, the three-phase plan includes:
- Kamikaze quadcopters. This phase is already actively implemented, with small drones reprogrammed for aerial combat instead of reconnaissance or ground attacks. According to Bild data, small Ukrainian drones strike about 50 Russian recon drones every week. Multiple video clips, shared by the Ukrainian military, confirm that the FPV interceptor drones have been widely used on the front.
- Fixed-wing interceptor drones. These UAVs will pursue Russian drones up to 60 kilometers at altitudes of up to four kilometers.
- “Shahed killers.” The final goal is to create interceptors capable of destroying Russia’s Iranian long-range Shahed drones. Bild says these interceptors “must have a speed of at least 200 km/h and a long range (at least 200, preferably 500 kilometers).“
Iran’s HESA Shahed 136 can carry a 50 kg warhead over a range of 2,500 km, while the smaller Shahed 131 can deliver 15 kg of explosives up to 900 km.
Dozens of aerial attacks on Russian drones
The footage, recorded from Ukrainian FPV drones used as anti-air weapons, highlights their current role in addressing insufficient air defense capabilities, following their previous use to offset artillery shell shortages. The Russian… pic.twitter.com/ACVxrpRfOe
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) August 28, 2024
According to Bild, Ukraine hopes to enter the third phase of its anti-drone program no later than 2025.
Ukrainian FPV interceptor drone hits rare Russian Merlin-VR recon UAV
Ukrainian National Guard's Rubizh Brigade says it struck the Merlin in the "Lyman-Kupiansk" sector, meaning somewhere in the area where administrative border where Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv oblasts… pic.twitter.com/frmNKy1Zbh
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 8, 2024
Related:
- Russian explosive drones again cross into NATO’s Romania, Ukraine destroys majority during night attack
- Rada approves Ukraine’s new military branch for unmanned technologies
- Ukrainian drone maker Ukrspecsystems expands internationally with Polish representation deal
- Protector unmanned ground vehicle showcased by Ukrainian defense firm
- Ukraine’s Skyeton expands UAV production to Slovakia amid rising demand
- Meet “Liutyi,” Ukraine’s homegrown drone behind strikes on Russian oil refineries
- Ukraine begins using FPV drones with post-target-lock autonomous homing
