Ukraine Has 7 Different Drone Hunters in the Sky—and 22 Teams Racing to Build the Next Ones

Ukrainian forces are already using seven different types of interceptor drones against Russia’s jet-powered Shahed-type UAVs, Brave1 defense cluster head Andrii Hrytseniuk said, according to Oboronka on October 15.

Hrytseniuk said Ukraine began preparing specifically for jet-powered Russian drones in summer 2025, after interceptor UAVs had become increasingly effective against conventional propeller-driven Shaheds.

“Back in the summer of 2025, after interceptor drones were able to close the skies to conventional ‘Shaheds,’ we began analyzing where to direct our efforts. That was when funding began for teams working on solutions against jet-powered drones. We are talking not only about high-speed interceptors, but also anti-aircraft missiles and turrets,” Hrytseniuk said.

Today, 22 Ukrainian development teams are working on high-speed interceptors designed to defeat Russia’s jet-powered Geran drones. Twelve of those teams have received state funding through Brave1.

The approaches vary widely. Some projects use miniature turbojet engines, while others rely on high-performance electric motors and propellers. Developers are also exploring ducted-fan systems, which resemble small jet engines in layout but are powered electrically.

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“These are drone projects with miniature turbojet engines, as well as electric models with propellers. Another promising direction is drones with ducted-fan propulsion, which structurally resembles a turbojet but is powered by an electric battery,” Hrytseniuk explained.

Ukraine’s government has already contracted new interceptors in quantities that have “long since exceeded a thousand,” he said, although manufacturers are still working to scale production to the levels required for sustained nationwide defense.

“We will definitely catch up with Russian drone production. But this will not happen instantly. We can remember the period when conventional ‘Shaheds’ were used—scaling interceptor production took six months. Now we are doing everything possible to accelerate the process, but it will not happen in days or weeks,” Hrytseniuk said.

Earlier, reports emerged that Ukraine is preparing for a massive expansion of its jet-powered drone and missile programs, with demand for just one type of jet engine potentially reaching 10,000 units every month by 2027.

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