Ukraine is testing out cheap new interceptor missiles to battle Russia's jet-powered attack drones

2 hours ago 5

A Russian-made Geran-2 is displayed along with destroyed Russian tanks and equipment on Mykhailivska Square in Kyiv.

Ukraine has begun testing what it described as a cheap interceptor missile to battle Russian drones.
Ukraine's defense minister said the goal is to have a sufficient stockpile ahead of the fall.
Jet-powered drones are harder to take down than propeller-driven ones because they're much faster.

Ukraine is working to build an arsenal of cheap interceptor missiles to battle Russian attack drones, specifically new, faster variants powered by jet engines.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov shared with reporters recently that Ukraine, following a directive from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is prioritizing the development of low-cost missiles to shoot down Russia's Shahed-style one-way attack drones.

"We have already identified near-ready solutions and have begun testing them. Our task is to scale production by tens of times and build up stockpiles ahead of the autumn-winter period," Fedorov said.

Russia tends to ramp up its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine during colder months, targeting critical infrastructure like energy facilities.

Fedorov said Ukraine is aiming to scale production and reduce the cost of the interceptor missiles in preparation for Russian drones powered by turbojet engines. These drones have already been used on the battlefield, though not in overwhelming numbers.

The new missiles, Fedorov said, "will provide additional protection for critical infrastructure, alongside interceptor drones. To achieve this, we are issuing grants, scaling production, and relaunching team recruitment." He did not disclose additional details.

Russia commonly uses a propeller-driven drone called the Geran-2 to target Ukrainian cities and civil infrastructure in waves of attacks. It has, more recently, developed variants powered by jet engines called the Geran-3, Geran-4, and Geran-5.

These drones are launched by long rails and accelerate to flight speed before the engine takes over. These systems are armed with warheads and fly at high speeds into a target before detonating on impact.

Last year, Ukraine began prioritizing the development of interceptor drones to battle Russia's one-way attack drones, though they are primarily designed to engage the Geran-2, which can reach speeds of 115 mph, not faster variants like the Geran-3, which can travel at speeds of more than 200 mph.

Ukrainian companies that make interceptor drones have told Business Insider they are working on faster models to keep pace with Russia's newer Geran variants. The development of cheap missiles could help close the air defense gap.

Ukraine is working to expand its short-range air defense network, leading to higher interception rates as Russia continues to ramp up the number of drones it launches each month, Fedorov told journalists.

Russia launched over 6,500 Geran-type drones in April, with a daily rate of roughly 219, compared to 208 in March and 203 in July 2025, according to data collected by the Institute for Science and International Security, a US-based think tank.

Fedorov said that the number of Gerans shot down by interceptor drones has doubled over the past four months. Interceptor drone deliveries to Ukrainian forces have also increased during this time period.

"Improving air defense is a systemic effort. Our strategic goal is to reach a stable 95% interception rate for airborne targets," Fedorov said. "A key role in this process has been played by the introduction of after-action review, a standard NATO procedure for detailed analysis of combat operations after completion."