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Ukraine Develops High-Altitude Copter Drone to Hunt Russian UAVs at 36,000 Feet
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
A Ukrainian volunteer group, Wild Hornets, developed a high-altitude drone interceptor that could significantly improve Ukraine’s ability to counter Russian reconnaissance and strike drones operating at extreme altitudes, the group announced on June 25.
According to OSINT analyst Osinttechnical, the test flight took place in the skies over the Kherson region.
The group claims its custom-built multirotor drone is capable of reaching altitudes of 11 kilometers (36,000 feet)—a capability that, if proven, would allow Ukraine to engage high-flying Russian UAVs such as the Orion, Forpost-R, or strategic reconnaissance drones.
Such drones typically operate well above the ceiling of most quadcopters and FPV drones used on the front lines, making them difficult to intercept without expensive surface-to-air missiles or advanced radar tracking.
While the exact design and performance characteristics remain classified, the developers say their drone is still undergoing trials and has not yet received codification by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense—a key step before it can be officially adopted for battlefield use.
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The video shared by the Wild Hornets group shows the drone’s ascent to extremely high altitudes, as confirmed by visual indicators in the footage.
Earlier, Ukrainian forces received a new batch of advanced FPV drones equipped with artificial intelligence from the Czech volunteer group Aerorozvědka.
The donated drones—ARCZ08X quadcopters—are designed to function in complex electronic warfare environments where radio signals are often jammed.
Thanks to onboard AI, the drones can continue their mission even if communication with the operator is lost, autonomously flying toward and striking their target.
