Ukraine's defence minister reports successful results from using interceptors and turrets to counter jet-powered UAVs

Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara has reported successful results from the deployment of interceptor drones to counter jet-powered UAVs and said Ukraine has hundreds of heavy-calibre turrets that are also countering this threat.

Source: Khmara during a meeting with journalists

Quote: "Ukraine is already achieving successful results using interceptor drones against jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles. One unit destroyed five aerial assets using five [Bars] interceptors during a combat operation. That's a 100% success rate."

Details: Khmara said this experience is currently being studied and scaled up, and additional experts and units are being involved in the work.

Quote: "The use of heavy-calibre turrets against jet-powered UAVs is also getting results. The number of them in our arsenal is already in the hundreds. This area is being scaled up, and longer-range systems are simultaneously being developed."

Details: Khmara added that anti-aircraft missile systems and man-portable air-defence systems (MANPADS) are also proving effective.

He noted that Ukraine is aware of the solutions Russia is developing – jet-powered drones that can reach speeds of 800 km/h – and is getting ready to take countermeasures against the next generation of threats.

According to Khmara, aviation remains one of the most effective means of combating jet-powered drones. The effectiveness of aircraft deployment continues to increase thanks to pilot skill and better coordination, and this has led to a reduction in the munitions used per aerial asset. There are plans to improve this metric further.

The minister also expressed the view that targeting Russian drone operators and ground infrastructure should become a distinct specialism.

He pointed out that an ordinary brigade is primarily focused on the immediate threat right in front of it, so there is a need for specialised second-echelon units for whom locating and destroying UAV crews is one of their priority tasks.

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Originally reported by Ukrainska Pravda by Olha Kyrylenko,KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO. Read the full story at the source.