Ukraine readies tech response to Russia's Shahed drone onslaught - minister Fedorov
Photo: Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
In the interview with RBC-Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov says that Ukraine has a technological response to Russia's large-scale Shahed drone attacks on Ukrainian cities.
"Interceptor drones are currently the most effective response. I can only say what the President has already said - the solution has been found, it's being scaled, and more than one company is working on it. We understand clearly what needs to be done next," the minister explained.
He added that the companies that have developed certain technical solutions to counter Russian UAVs are now also working on ways to deal with jet-powered drones and operate in cloudy weather.
New technology
Ukraine already has technical solutions for producing interceptor drones that help shoot down dozens of enemy targets every day. Developers are currently working on technologies to combat jet drones.
"Solutions for drone interceptors have been found, and it's not just one company. Currently, the challenge is scaling it up — initial contracts have been signed, and partners are helping with the interceptors," said Mykhailo Fedorov during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome.
According to him, international partners are focusing their support specifically on these technologies, and efforts are underway to scale up production.
At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has developed and successfully tested interceptor drones capable of shooting down Shahed drones. The Ukrainian defense industry is capable of producing them on a large scale, but funding is needed.
Additionally, it has been announced that a large-scale project called Clear Sky will be launched in Kyiv. The initiative aims to defend against Shahed-type drones using interceptor drones.
