Ukraine is developing "hunter drones" to destroy enemy UAVs during Russian attacks

Ukraine is currently developing drones that can identify and shoot down other drones, including Iranian-made "Shaheeds" that Russia is launching, Bloomberg reports, citing Ukrainian officials and company executives.

Advisor to the Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshyn confirmed the increase in the production of special drones capable of shooting down Shahed near Kyiv.

According to Kamyshin, three domestic manufacturers make such drones, which cost about $5,000 each. Executives interviewed by journalists said that some can cost as little as $300 apiece.

Latvian drone maker Origin Robotics is one of many trying to counter drone attacks. In June, the company plans to send test drones to Ukraine that explode near enemy UAVs, destroying them with debris.

"As soon as the warhead gets close enough to the target, it detonates and the target is hit by shrapnel," Origin CEO Agris Kipurs explained during a drone conference in Riga.

According to him, such drones are specially designed to combat large loitering munitions.

Despite the potential economic benefits for Ukraine, these drones are not yet capable of fully replacing air defense systems, notes Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Wayne Sanders.

Journalists also note that such "drone hunters" have their limitations. They are not able to effectively counter Russian missile systems, which are faster and have greater destructive power than the "Shaheeds."

To combat such threats, the most effective remain American Patriot missiles, costing from $3 to $6 million per unit.

According to expert Larson, Ukraine is also working on fixed-wing drones that strike drones with a direct hit, and other models that use recoilless shotguns to engage aerial targets.

Skyfall, one of the leading Ukrainian drone manufacturers, is upgrading its FPV model with a first-person view for intercepting UAVs.

According to a company spokesperson, these drones are already being used on the front lines.

On June 1, the SBU carried out a special operation "Web", hitting four strategic airfields in Russia. Among the aircraft that were hit were the A-50 long-range radar detection and control aircraft, the Tu-95 strategic bomber-missile carrier, and the Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range strategic bomber-missile carrier. Russia is currently unable to produce such aircraft.

According to the Ministry of Defense , 117 drones were involved in the special operation – with a corresponding number of operators. As a result, 34% of strategic cruise missile carriers located at Russian air bases were hit.

• On April 28, 2025, it was reported that in 2024, the Ministry of Defense allowed more than 300 samples of Ukrainian-made unmanned systems to be operated in the Defense Forces.
• On the same day, Sibiga stated that Ukraine produces 95% of the drones that destroyed 77,000 Russian targets on the frontline in March 2025 alone.
• On May 29, the Defense Forces first deployed an artificial intelligence-based drone on the battlefield.