Facing dwindling missile supplies and an unrelenting barrage of Russian drones, Ukraine is increasingly turning to low-cost interceptor drones as a key component of its air defense strategy
Last month, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy revealed that Ukraine needs $6 billion to scale up production of these drones, with an ambitious target of manufacturing 1,000 units per day. The urgency stems from their proven effectiveness in intercepting and destroying Russian reconnaissance and kamikaze drones, which have become a persistent threat across Ukrainian skies.
In the past two months alone, a Ukrainian military charity reported its interceptor drones had taken down approximately 1,500 Russian drones. These unmanned aerial defenders offer a vital alternative to expensive and depleted Western and Soviet-made missile systems, which allies have struggled, or hesitated, to replenish.
Colonel Serhiy Nonka of Ukraine’s 1,129th Air Defence Regiment estimated that using an interceptor drone costs just one-fifth of what it takes to shoot down an enemy drone with a missile. “They’ve drastically reduced the depth to which enemy drones can penetrate our lines,” he said.
Capable of speeds over 300 kph, these drones are operated via First-Person View (FPV) from the ground, guided by real-time video feeds. Though not effective against missiles or Russia’s new jet-powered attack drones, they remain a cost-effective solution for countering the more frequent, slower-moving threats.
Oleksiy Barsuk, who pioneered their use in the 1,129th regiment, said enemy drones now operate at higher altitudes to evade the interceptors, but their visibility remains limited. “Their zoom isn’t infinite,” he noted.
Civilian-backed military charities like Come Back Alive have played a pivotal role in expanding access to these drones. The organization supplies interceptors to over 90 military units and claims its equipment has downed more than 3,000 Russian drones, nearly half within the last two months, causing estimated losses of $195 million to Russia.
Despite their growing success, experts caution that both Ukraine and Russia are racing to refine their drone interception tactics. “We’re seeing more videos of intercepts from both sides,” said Sam Bendett of the Center for a New American Security. “This trend is only going to accelerate and become more widespread in the coming weeks.”
As the war evolves, Ukraine’s pivot to scalable, tech-driven defenses like interceptor drones may shape the next chapter of modern aerial warfare.
Written By Rodney Mbua
