How to protect Ukrainian cities from Shahed drones: Aviation expert says there’s a cheap and effective solution
Ukrainian experts have explained how inexpensive interceptor drones are being used to destroy costly Russian Shahed drones and help save the country’s defense budget.
Shahed
Ukraine is deploying modern interceptor drones to take down Russian Shahed UAVs. There are already 6–8 different types of these interceptor drones in development.
Aviation expert Kostiantyn Kryvolap, told this on the Kyiv24 channel.
He says this is the most economical defense method, as shooting drones down with missiles is extremely costly and depletes national resources.
A Shahed drone costs between $150,000 and $200,000. However, Kryvolap notes that Russia has recently changed its manufacturing process — with China now supplying some components, the cost of the drones has dropped significantly to $50,000–$80,000. This makes using expensive missiles to destroy them economically unsustainable.
In contrast, Ukrainian interceptor drones cost only $15–$20 each and are launched from the ground. They ascend to the altitude where Shahed drones operate and destroy them using various methods: either by ramming them or detonating in close proximity. These interceptors are equipped with different targeting systems, including infrared, thermal imaging, and FPV (First-Person View).
The use of such low-cost, high-tech solutions allows Ukraine to effectively counter aerial threats while conserving its budget and resources for other areas of defense.