Ukraine to outmatch Russia’s drone attacks with 1,000 interceptors a day, Ukrainian PM assures

Ukraine is preparing to ramp up its aerial defense with a fleet of 1,000 drone interceptors deployed daily, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on 18 September during a press conference in Kyiv with Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

Kyiv aims to surpass Russia’s nightly drone attacks

Suspilne reported that Shmyhal said Ukraine’s goal is to exceed the current scale of Russian drone usage, which he sometimes reaches around 800 drones per night. To do so, he confirmed Ukraine is working toward the capability to operate no fewer than 1,000 drone interceptors per day.

"This level will be reached. I cannot say what the current level is, but this level will be implemented in the near future," Shmyhal claimed at the briefing.

The Prime Minister emphasized that this goal is not distant and that work is progressing according to schedule.

The challenge isn’t drones — it’s deployment systems

Shmyhal clarified that drone production is not the limiting factor in reaching the 1,000-interceptor mark. Instead, the main challenge lies in the availability and implementation of ground-based control systems, radar units, and components that utilize artificial intelligence for targeting and guidance.

"This is a large complex, and its implementation takes some time. But we are moving confidently and according to schedule toward this goal," he added.