Historic moment: Ukrainian drone pilot sets global record (video)
Ukrainian pilot rewrites the record books with drone feat (photo: Getty Images)
A Ukrainian pilot has, for the first time in history, shot down two Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones at a distance of 500 kilometers from their launch point using a STING interceptor, the Ukraine's Wild Hornets unit reports.
What makes this operation unique
According to the company, Russian targets were struck by a pilot named Roman "Hulk," who serves in the Bulava unit.
A specialized Hornet Vision Ctrl technology was used to carry out the interception.
This marks the first known case globally in which an unmanned interceptor covered such a long distance to destroy aerial targets.
An absolute world record — a pilot took down a Shahed with interceptor STING at a distance of 500 km
— Wild Hornets (@wilendhornets) April 4, 2026
Using Hornet Vision Ctrl technology, Roman “Hulk” from the BULAVA unit downed two Shaheds located 500 km away
This is the first time in the world someone has flown that far… https://t.co/EcXMPKSXNQ pic.twitter.com/wNyjTpMdz9
During a single sortie, the pilot destroyed two enemy aerial targets.
"This is the first time in the world someone has flown that far remotely — and actually scored intercepts. Not one, but two Shaheds," Wild Hornets emphasized.
Ukraine prepares new generation of interceptors
Ukraine is actively scaling up the production of unmanned systems to counter Russian aircraft and drones.
Recently, the Defense Ministry approved the use of the Shvidun drone, one of the most effective interceptors against Shahed drones, thanks to its ability to remain airborne for over two hours.
At the same time, new combat drones with enhanced communication protection and the ability to be controlled from safe positions are being tested within the Brave1 cluster.
In addition, developers are working on "swarm" technology, where a single operator can control a group of interceptor drones both at close range and remotely.
