Ukraine shot down 3,200 Shahed-type drones from helicopters in past year, chief commander says
Ukraine shot down more than 3,200 Russian Shahed-type drones from helicopters over the past year, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi told RBC-Ukraine in an interview published on Aug. 18.
Shahed drones, originally designed in Iran and mass-produced in Russia under the name Geran-2, have become a central weapon in Moscow's long-range strikes against Ukraine. They are frequently used to target cities, including residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure.
"The army aviation has proven itself very well: helicopters equipped with machine guns are highly effective," Syrskyi said. "From August last year to August this year, they shot down more than 3,200 Shahed-type drones — these are impressive figures."
Ukraine has made countering Shahed drones a priority in its defense planning for 2025, as Russia continues to scale up production. Ukraine's Air Force reported 6,129 Shahed drones launched in July, a new record that surpassed June's 5,337 and marked a 14-fold increase compared to July 2024.
According to Syrskyi, interceptor drones are the most promising solution in countering Shaheds.
"We have many developments here," he noted, adding that efforts to scale up their deployment are ongoing. "We use the entire range of systems available to combat (Russian) drones."
On July 14, Defense Procurement Agency head Arsen Zhumadilov said Ukraine had already contracted "tens of thousands" of interceptor drones to bolster air defense.
Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), warned on Aug. 12 that Russia aims to produce 79,000 Shahed drones in 2025.
Military analysts fear such numbers would allow Moscow to sustain high-intensity bombardments, overwhelming Ukraine's defenses and inflicting greater damage on civilian infrastructure.
