Exclusive: Europe scrambles for Ukrainian interceptor drones after Russia's attack on Poland
The ODIN Win_Hit high-speed FPV interceptor drones, shown in a vertical launch configuration, were designed to target and destroy loitering munitions in fligh (militarnyi.com)
European countries are scrambling for Ukrainian anti-drone systems following the unprecedented violation of Polish airspace by Russian kamikaze drones on Sept. 10, officials and manufacturers have told the Kyiv Independent.
"We were already previously discussing with the Ukrainian side investments in interceptor drones, but now we are even more interested in them," a European military diplomat told the Kyiv Independent, on condition of anonymity.
"We need to be prepared for war, so it is high time to be learning from Ukraine," they added.
Within hours of the attack, Ukrainian defense advisory firm Triada Trade Partners saw a surge in inquiries from Europe for both drone interceptors and electronic warfare (EW) systems, Bohdan Popov, head of the company’s analytical department, told the Kyiv Independent.
He said requests had come from not only Poland, but also companies from Germany, Denmark, and the Baltic states had reached out to the firm.
"Russia has shown that they are not scared to attack NATO countries directly. So NATO countries are now seeking a solution," Popov said.
"The biggest demand is for the new interceptor drones that Ukraine produced around three months ago and were first shown by President Volodymyr Zelensky."
European countries are largely unprepared for drone warfare, so they are rushing to drone-experienced Ukraine for solutions.
Western nations lack cheap technology to down drones, having stocked up on boutique weapons meant for limited precision use against expensive targets like cruise and ballistic missiles.
During the Sept 10 attack that prompted the first NATO engagement of Moscow's military since the start of the full-scale invasion, a force of "Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS, NATO Multi Role Tanker Transport, and German Patriots," was deployed, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
Sidewinder missiles costing around $400,000 a piece were used to down cheap Russian drones – reportedly Gerberas which are dummy drones made of plywood and foam that only cost around $10,000.
Ukraine’s current flock of interceptor drones are super-charged quadcopters that reach speeds and heights far beyond long-familiar first-person-view (FPV) drones and, according to the manufacturers, cost in the region of $5,000 each.
Ukrainian FPV interceptors are now actively hunting down larger Russian drones, seen here destroying a pair of Forpost-R medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs.
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 28, 2025
Ukrainian interceptors continue to severely degrade Russian UAV coverage. pic.twitter.com/uwDVHuQ7Mh
Each is equipped with an explosive charge, which it detonates in the vicinity of a target in order to knock it out of the sky.
But alongside the surge in interest from foreign firms and militaries, there is also some suspicion among Ukrainian producers
"We’re getting inquiries from all over the world," a founder of Wild Hornets, a charity fund that also makes the Sting interceptor drone, told the Kyiv Independent.
"But we know that this is most likely veiled industrial espionage in order to get hold of a ready solution."
Ukraine can, in theory, export drones, but only with the permission of the Government Export Control Office, which is secretive about the standards by which it allows Ukrainians to send weapons abroad.
If international demand for drone interceptors increases as Russia’s threat to NATO intensifies, Kyiv may allow Ukrainian defense producers to export more products, particularly to its neighbors, Popov said.
“Nobody knows today what will happen tomorrow, or in the next few weeks and months. Ukraine is the best solution to all these questions about how to fight Russia and defend against Russian airstrikes,” Popov said.
