Russia unveils Zveroboy air defense system designed to counter Ukrainian drones
Photo: Zveroboy (Kalashnikov concern)
Russia’s Kalashnikov concern has publicly unveiled the Zveroboy air defense system for the first time. The system is designed to protect facilities from Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The system's main weapon is the Kraken high-speed FPV interceptors, the Kalashnikov concern says.
How the Zveroboy system works
The system was first unveiled at the 4th All-Russian Arms Forum in Moscow. According to the manufacturer, Zveroboy is designed to provide round-the-clock protection for critical facilities against reconnaissance and strike UAVs, including types used by Ukraine such as the Leleka, Liutyi, Bober, and Hornet-XR.
The system consists of an automated workstation at a ground control station, an optical targeting system, three launch containers, a digital repeater, a technical compartment with a distribution panel and switching unit, as well as a radar system.
Photo: Zveroboy without the pickup truck (Kalashnikov concern)
The manufacturer offers two configurations: a stationary version designed for long-term protection of critical infrastructure perimeters, and a mobile version mounted on the chassis of a mass-produced pickup truck. The latter is intended to enable faster redeployment while making the system’s position more difficult to detect.
What weapons does Zveroboy use?
The system is armed with high-speed Kraken interceptors — multirotor FPV drones equipped with specialized warheads, with three units carried in each launch container. A nighttime variant, the Kraken-N, is equipped with a thermal imaging camera.
Kalashnikov claims that Zveroboy is part of its broader strategy for layered protection against UAVs. The company says it is developing a range of systems for detecting, suppressing, and destroying drones at different distances. The system can also be integrated with existing surveillance and perimeter-security systems.
Along with Zveroboy, another anti-drone complex from the concern, Kalitka-KA, armed with a machine gun turret, was also presented at the forum.
In August, Ukraine’s Armed Forces received the first Ukrainian Alexa Spatium jet-powered interceptor drone, which, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, is capable of shooting down jet-powered Shahed drones, reconnaissance UAVs, and even helicopters.
