Inside Ukrainian STING interceptor that boasts 80-90% hit rate - video

This interest from the world's largest oil company is driven by Ukraine's unique, combat-tested experience in neutralizing the exact same Iranian-designed drones that threaten the Middle East. After years of defending its own energy grid against relentless Shahed swarms, Kyiv's defense sector has developed highly effective, low-cost FPV interceptors that offer a proven shield for Saudi Arabia's vulnerable infrastructure.

WSJ sources reported that Aramco representatives are negotiating with Ukrainian companies SkyFall (P1-SUN drones) and Wild Hornets (STING).

On March 10, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine already sent three teams of experts to the Middle East to help fight Iranian drones. He noted that the first countries the Ukrainian specialists traveled to were Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

STING is an FPV interceptor designed to destroy enemy Shahed-type combat UAVs and reconnaissance drones. In Jan. 2026, the drone successfully hit a Russian Shahed equipped with an R-60 air-to-air missile.

The manufacturer data indicated that the average percentage of successful hits is 80-90%, depending on the military unit. Wild Hornets calls STING the most effective Shahed interceptor.

STING drone characteristics

• Manufacturer: Ukraine

• Start of use: 2025

• Speed: up to 315 km/h

• Flight altitude: up to 7 km

• Flight range: 37 km

• Flight duration: up to 15 min

• Payload: 0.5 kg

• Warhead: 500 g

• Deployment time: up to 15 min

• Cost: $1k

STING is built on a classic quadcopter design with a streamlined body and a large dome housing a thermal imaging camera and the warhead. It features a Kurbas thermal imaging camera and is compatible with any FPV station, although it works best with a ground control station. The drone can take off from any surface without a catapult, and the operator can also cancel the launch and redirect it to another target.

STING is equipped with a remote detonation mechanism for the explosive charge via the control panel. It is piloted using VR goggles, allowing the operator to see and identify the target in real time. It has an AI-based guidance system and destroys the enemy target by ramming it or detonating the warhead nearby.

Data from the manufacturer, Militarnyi