Russia rushing to make its own interceptor drones, general warns
Russian Yolka interceptor drone (Photo: Russian Defense Ministry)
A retired Ukrainian general warned that Russia is developing
interceptor
drones and that Ukraine must exploit a several-month technological lead
before Moscow can catch up.
Maj. Gen. Volodymyr Havrylov, who served as deputy defense minister from 2022 to 2023, told NV Radio on June 3 that interceptor drones have proven a cheap and effective way to defend against a wide range of unmanned systems, from reconnaissance and mid-size strike drones to loitering munitions.
“For defending against drones there aren’t many options — you need a layered air-defense system, which they [the Russians] had in 2022–23,” said Havrylov.
“But because they lost so many air-defense systems over that period, the Russians simply don’t have the means to cover key logistics. They lost many systems on the front line, and they have pulled many back to protect their infrastructure from deep strikes, which are only increasing now.”
Havrylov predicted Russia will mimic Ukrainian tactics by widely deploying interceptor drones and other systems.
“They’re also making interceptor drones …; We must assume that in one, two or three months they will have something, but by that time we must have something that effectively counters their efforts to copy us,” the officer said.
“We must actively use this three-, four-, five-month
advantage.”
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
