Ukraine’s Low-Cost Drone Interceptors Obliterate 64 Russian Shaheds in One Night

Ukrainian forces used drone interceptors to shoot down 64 Shahed-type attack drones on January 13, marking one of the highest confirmed single-day figures for this defensive tactic since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The figure was confirmed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his nightly address.

According to Zelenskyy, the Russian military launched a large-scale aerial assault involving 247 strike assets throughout the day, including drones, cruise missiles, and at least 18 ballistic missiles.

Between 18:30 on January 13 and 08:00 on January 14, Russia reportedly deployed 113 drones of various types, including Iranian-designed Shaheds and other loitering munitions.

Ukrainian air defense systems intercepted a significant portion of the incoming threats, though some projectiles still struck civilian and energy infrastructure. “Only interceptors, and only against Shahed drones, shot down 64 today,” Zelenskyy said. “But unfortunately, there were also impacts.”

Interceptors—low-cost drones designed to ram or disrupt incoming UAVs—have become a key element of Ukraine’s layered air defense architecture. Initially used primarily against reconnaissance UAVs, they have since been adapted to neutralize explosive-laden drones like the Shahed series. Footage and images released by volunteer groups such as Wild Hornets show examples of interceptors such as the Sting drone in action.

Earlier, Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that the country had ramped up production and deployment of drone interceptors, with more than 1,500 anti-Shahed drones being delivered to frontline units daily. He noted that over 7,000 of these had also been procured directly by combat units through the DOT-Chain Defense marketplace.

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