9 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Ukraine developing interceptor drones to counter Russian attacks, Zelensky says
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Ukraine was working on the rapid development of interceptor drones to counter the swarms of Russian drones that have been descending on Ukrainian cities in increasing numbers in recent weeks.
Ukrainian officials have noted the sharply increased numbers of Iranian-designed Shahed drones deployed by Russian forces in a single night and say it is vital to develop technology capable of tackling the threat they pose.
'We are also working separately on interceptor drones, which are intended to enhance protection against Shahed drones,' Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
'Several of our domestic enterprises – and, accordingly, different types of drones – are delivering results. Production volumes of interceptors are already increasing.'
Russian forces have been deploying more than 400 drones in a single night, with more than 470 fired on more than one occasion.
A total of 440 drones – plus 32 missiles – were deployed this week in a 'combined' attack on Kyiv that flattened part of an apartment building and killed 28 people.
