Ukraine is developing a new drone that can track and intercept Shahed-type attack drones, the Telegraph reported on Oct. 20.
Russia has launched thousands of Iranian-designed Shahed drones against Ukraine since the fall of 2022.
Kyiv's new weapon, named "Sting," is a first-person-view (FPV) drone that can chase and neutralize Shahed drones in lieu of conventional air defense systems, the Telegraph reported.
According to the drone's developers, the Wild Hornets group, "Sting" will be able to fly at altitudes approaching 10,000 feet, with a speed of over 100 miles per hour. The weapon will be operated from the ground using VR goggles.
It is the first drone specifically developed to target Russia's arsenal of Shaheds.
"Its average cost is dozens of times lower than that of the Shahed drone," a Wild Hornet source told the Telegraph regarding the Sting drone.
The lower production costs may allow Ukraine to conserve its air defense munitions over the coming months, as Russia intensifies aerial attacks targeting Ukrainian cities and the nation's energy grid.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 20 that Russia has launched a total of 6,230 Shahed-type drones at Ukraine since the beginning of the year.
Throughout Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine and Russia have heavily invested in drone technology, revolutionizing modern warfare. Multiple videos have shown how Ukrainian FPV drones hit Russian reconnaissance drones and other costly equipment on the battlefield.
Ukraine in September established the Unmanned Systems Forces, a separate branch of Ukraine's Armed Forces dedicated to drone warfare. Kyiv said it aims to produce 1 million drones this year, in addition to the thousands pledged by foreign partners.
Chris York
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