Ukraine has deployed a newly developed interceptor drone to counter Russian jet-powered Shahed strike drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced recently, following an operational briefing from acting Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Oleksandr Poklad.
Writing on Telegram, Zelensky stated that the SBU’s military counterintelligence department achieved tangible operational results in intercepting high-speed Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
“A report from SBU head Oleksandr Poklad. There is a good result from the Security Service’s military counterintelligence in countering jet ‘Shaheds,’” Zelensky stated. “A new interceptor drone has been created and already successfully applied. Step by step, we are moving forward to give Ukraine greater protection.”
Zelensky commended Ukrainian engineers and defence enterprises working to expand production, expressing gratitude to “all developers and manufacturers who work every day to scale the necessary weapons.
In addition, approximately 10 other domestic manufacturers are conducting flight and intercept tests of prototype systems before submitting them for formal military codification.
Ukrainian defence planners have prioritized interceptor drones as a cost-effective countermeasure to relieve pressure on ground-based air defences.
In recent months, Russian forces have escalated launches of jet-powered Geran-4 and Banderol loitering munitions, which travel at speeds between 400 and 600 kilometers per hour at altitudes of several kilometers, rendering conventional mobile anti-aircraft gun teams and propeller-driven interceptors less effective.
Source: Kyiv Post