Ukrainian engineers have created affordable interceptor drones that destroy hundreds of Russian "Shahed" drones

Ukrainian engineers have created affordable interceptor drones that are already shooting down hundreds of Russian "Shahed" drones. This technology is changing perceptions of aerial warfare and becoming a key element of Ukraine’s defence.

This was reported by Business Insider.

Approximately a year after the start of the full-scale war with Russia, a Ukrainian drone instructor presented an idea that the military initially considered unrealistic - using quadcopters to intercept enemy reconnaissance drones.

Soldiers at the time doubted the possibility of maneuvering a small drone to hit a fast-moving target, joking that the project initiator had "watched too much ’Star Wars’."

However, the concept became a reality: what once seemed like science fiction is now a crucial element of Ukrainian defence.

As reported by Business Insider, Ukraine is increasingly using affordable interceptor drones to destroy Russian attack drones. During one of the recent large-scale attacks, they shot down over 150 drones.

Currently, Ukraine aims to establish production of up to 1,000 such interceptors daily.

This technology is significant not only for Ukraine - it demonstrates how, in the future, mass drone attacks can be effectively countered with low-cost solutions.

NATO is paying attention to Ukrainian developments. According to Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, interceptor drones of the "strike-to-destroy" type are among the most promising means of protection against Russian attacks.

Business Insider notes that the publication’s journalists spoke with Ukrainian engineers, pilots, and manufacturers who explained how a technology that started as an experiment has become a primary defence priority.

"With the growing number of threats from drones, the pressure on defenders from both sides increased to use relatively cheap and simple countermeasures," explained Sam Bendett, an advisor to the Russia Studies Program at the Center for Naval Analyses in the USA.

According to him, both Ukraine and Russia are now actively using various types of interceptor drones.’/