Archive · 21 Jul 2026
Ukraine Develops Faster Drones to Counter Jet-Powered Shaheds
Ukraine is making faster drones to stop Russia's jet-powered attack drones.
These new drones can go really fast, up to 500 kph, to catch the Russian drones before they hit targets.
Companies like SkyFall, General Cherry, and Firebolt Engineering are working hard to make these interceptors quickly and affordably.
Russia has been using these jet-powered drones more often, making it harder for Ukraine to defend against them.
The new interceptors are being tested and will start mass production soon to help Ukraine protect itself better.
Ukrainian companies are developing faster interceptors to counter jet-powered Shahed drones.
SkyFall's new interceptor can reach 370 kph and has downed over a dozen jet-powered Shaheds.
General Cherry is working on a faster version of its Bullet interceptor, aiming for speeds of 500 kph.
Firebolt Engineering's Griffen interceptor can reach 350 kph and is working on increasing its speed to 400 kph.
Russia is deploying jet-powered Shahed drones at speeds of up to 500 kph, making them harder to intercept.
- Who
- Ukrainian drone manufacturers (SkyFall, General Cherry, Firebolt Engineering) and Russian military
- What
- Development of faster interceptor drones to counter jet-powered Shahed drones
- When
- Unveiled at the Farnborough Airshow on July 21, with plans for mass production starting in August and September
- Where
- Ukraine and the Farnborough Airshow in England
- Why
- To counter the increasing use of jet-powered Shahed drones by Russia, which are faster and harder to intercept
Ukrainian Defense Companies
Russian Military
Interceptor Speed
Ukrainian Defense Companies
Ukrainian companies are developing faster interceptors to counter jet-powered Shahed drones, with speeds ranging from 370 kph to 500 kph.
Russian Military
Russia is deploying jet-powered Shahed drones that can travel at speeds of up to 500 kph, making them harder to intercept.
Cost and Production
Ukrainian Defense Companies
Ukrainian companies aim to keep the cost of new interceptors low, with prices ranging from $2,000 to $10,000, and plan to scale up production quickly.
Russian Military
Russia continues to mass-produce and deploy Shahed drones, leveraging their low cost and high numbers to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses.
- Interceptor Speeds
- 370 kph to 500 kph
- Shahed Drone Speeds
- Up to 500 kph
- Production Capacity
- SkyFall can produce 50,000 units per month
- Cost of Interceptors
- $2,000 to $10,000
- Shaheds Destroyed
- Over 5,500 by SkyFall's P1-SUN
- Jet-Powered Shaheds
- 15-20% of Shaheds deployed by Russia