Forbes: Ukraine Has Found A Way To Fight Russian Interceptor Drones

15.05.2025, 8:51
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And that's just the beginning.

Over the 39 months of the war, more than a hundred thousand drones covered the sky over the multi-kilometer front line in Ukraine. Drones of different models and price categories can be seen on the battlefield. In 2024, interceptor drones also began to appear along the front line, and already this year Ukraine began to equip its drones with an anti-drone net, according to Forbes.

Yesterday, May 14, the first footage of a drone protected by such a net from interceptors appeared on the Web. The first such nets began to appear on Russian armored vehicles back in 2022, when the AFU began to actively attack the enemy with drones. Soon tiny drones became the main threat to all armored vehicles and artillery. Cages, nets and chains became standard for ground vehicles on both sides.

The AFU and the Russian Armed Forces also stretched nets to catch drones along the most vulnerable routes on the front line. As far back as 2024, both sides of the conflict have been puzzling over how to counter drone interceptors. It's a tough job for interceptor operators. The drones are small and skittish, and can be difficult to spot.

"It's very, very difficult to aim, to get visual contact with the target," said Canadian David Hambling, who is now fighting in the AFU. Once an interceptor has taken the drone on target, however, the hit rate is 75 percent.

Some Russian drones have rear-view cameras and automated systems that trigger evasive maneuvers. But most targeted drones are vulnerable to ramming from above or behind.

Ukrainian forces have tested an anti-drone cage on the Mavic, which carries a payload weighing a hundred kilograms. The metal grill on which you can smoke barbecue weighs (you guessed it) a few hundred grams. The Mavic may be able to defend itself to some extent, but it won't be able to perform a reconnaissance or attack mission at the same time.

If the rapid evolution of airframes for ground vehicles is any indication, air armor will evolve quickly with better fits and lighter materials.