Ukrainian Interceptor Drone Reaches 11km Altitude to Target High-Flying Russian UAVs
The report does not give details of the specifications and design of the interceptor which are classified, and saysthe drone has not yet been officially codified by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.
These high-altitude capabilities are intended to help Ukraine intercept large Russian drones used for reconnaissance and long-range strikes, according to the report.
In parallel developments, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have begun to receive other new UAV systems. One such platform is the Volynyaka, an all-weather, day and night combat UAV able to operate in high winds.
The Volynyaka can also be used to delver supplies to frontline units and deploy powerful munitions against heavily armored targets.
In May, Wild Hornets also demonstrated the first recorded combat use of a drone fitted with a grenade launcher in another example of the innovation displayed by Ukraine’s drone industry.
Ukraine has decided to significantly ramp up long-range strikes on Russian territory, with a new contract for tens of thousands of deep-strike drones currently in preparation, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told Kyiv Post and other journalists during a closed-door briefing on June 26.
He said that a systematic plan for deep-strike operations had been developed last year, and that Ukraine now had long-range drones that regularly hit critical targets far behind enemy lines. According to Umerov, deliveries are on schedule and missions are conducted daily as part of the approved plan.
Ukraine is also introducing new technologies, including interceptor drones and other tools, though specific details remain classified. The entire drone defense system, he said, operates in a continuous cycle of “innovation, testing, and improvement.”
Umerov added that Ukraine continues to work systematically on countering kamikaze drones, particularly Russian Shahed / Geran drones used to strike Ukrainian cities, in a project that has been under development for three years.
“… the anti-Shahed solution already exists – one of these products showed very high effectiveness; we didn’t even expect it ourselves,” he said, without providing further details.
He also said domestic manufacturers are now producing more than four million drones of various types annually that are actively supporting front-line operations.
Source: Julia Struck