Interceptor drones that autonomously shoot down Shahed scaled up in Ukraine

Ukraine’s new-generation interceptor drones are already destroying enemy kamikaze drones in autonomous mode, and this technology is now being scaled up. Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has announced this.

The latest technology, which automates 95% of the entire interception process — from the moment the drone is launched to the actual destruction of the Shahed — was created by one of the participants in the Brave1 defense cluster. According to the official, the system has already successfully passed its first combat tests in the Kharkiv Region.

The system’s algorithm works as follows: an operator tracks the movement of enemy aerial targets in real time, selects the target, and issues a command to engage. After that, the system operates autonomously—it guides the interceptor drone to the target, autonomously identifies it, and locks onto the target.

"Thanks to Brave1’s support, the manufacturer was able to go from prototype to successful combat deployment in less than a year," Fedorov emphasized, adding that autonomy is one of the key areas of development for modern air defense.

He stressed that such technological solutions allow for a significantly faster response to massive enemy attacks and more effective protection of Ukrainian cities, which is why active scaling of these developments — which have already proven their effectiveness in combat conditions — is currently underway.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, the Ministry of Defense previously reported on tests of an AI-controlled turret designed to intercept russian drones.