Zelenskyy shows first footage of new interceptor for jet-powered drones

“A report from SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad. The Security Service’s military counterintelligence has achieved a good result in countering jet-powered Shaheds. A new interceptor drone has been developed and already successfully used. Step by step, we are moving forward to give Ukraine greater protection,” Zelenskyy wrote.

On Sept. 17, Zelenskyy reported another positive result from tests of Ukrainian interceptors against Russian jet-powered drones after a briefing by Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi.

On Sept. 15, the president also said Ukraine had successfully tested a new interceptor for Russian jet-powered drones.

“The Shahed was successfully hit, but some aspects of controlling the interceptor still need to be refined. We are continuing the work — more time is needed,” he said.

Serhii Beskrestnov, a presidential technology adviser serving in a non-staff capacity and a technology expert who uses the call sign Flash, told Radio NV that Ukraine has several options for high-speed Shahed interceptors, but needs time to test them.

In late August, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry also announced the codification of the Alexa Spatium UAV, which it called ‘Ukraine’s first jet-powered drone interceptor’. Alexa Spatium is a high-speed jet-powered unmanned aircraft described as a system for targeting Russian Shaheds and jet-powered drones, including Geran-4 and Geran-5 models.

Experts said, however, that mass production of such countermeasures is not yet underway.