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Kalashnikov Unveils “Arkhangel”: Russia’s Answer to Ukraine’s Drone War
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russia is testing a new drone-interceptor system called “Arkhangel” in the border region of Kursk, which Moscow says is intended to counter Ukrainian unmanned aircraft operating near and beyond the front lines, Defence Blog reported on November 10.
According to Defence Blog, the project is being led by Mikhail Filippov, head of the volunteer drone initiative also named Arkhangel.
The movement began as a network of drone-pilot training schools and has since evolved into a testing platform for Russia’s emerging counter-UAV technology. Filippov said that the state-owned arms manufacturer Kalashnikov Concern has started producing combat versions of the group’s airframe for operational trials.
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Filippov said newly formed interceptor crews and mobile radar teams have now deployed to the Kursk region, a key hotspot for Ukrainian cross-border drone strikes, where they are conducting live-environment testing of the system.
As Defence Blog explained, the Arkhangel drone is designed to function as an aerial interceptor—a kind of lightweight, low-cost aircraft that can chase down and destroy other drones.
Filippov claimed the system has “no direct analogue” in terms of its combination of speed and range. Rather than replacing existing Russian air-defense networks, it is meant to supplement them, providing a cheaper layer of protection between ground-based missile systems and vulnerable rear-area infrastructure.
Filippov claimed that Ukraine typically uses two-stage drone tactics: reconnaissance UAVs scout for gaps in Russian air defenses, and then loitering munitions or strike drones follow those paths to hit fuel depots, logistics hubs, or command centers.
He argued that this asymmetric threat creates an “economic imbalance”—with Ukraine spending only a few thousand dollars on small reconnaissance drones, while Russian air defenses must fire costly interceptors or wait to engage at short range with machine guns.
“The Arkhangel is meant to fix that imbalance,” Filippov said. “We can intercept and destroy reconnaissance drones before they locate our defenses or direct attacks on key sites.”
According to Defence Blog, the Arkhangel can fly at speeds of around 360 km/h (224 mph) and operate up to 50 km (31 miles) from its launch point—roughly double the top speed of the small Ukrainian reconnaissance drones it is designed to hunt.
Filippov said mobile radar teams track incoming targets and feed coordinates to interceptor pilots, who then chase the drones into open terrain away from population centers.
He emphasized that the system’s goal is preventive: stopping reconnaissance drones early should prevent follow-on strike missions.
Earlier, Russian engineers began field tests of a novel counter-drone weapon that fuses rocket propulsion with FPV guidance.
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