Interceptor Drones in Ukraine: How Defense Industry Reached Production of Up to 2,000 Units per Day
Ukraine’s defense industry has made a sharp leap over the past year in the production of interceptor drones one of the key tools for countering aerial threats. This is no longer about isolated developments or experimental models, but about serial production operating at a pace that was unattainable just two years ago. According to the executive director of the Ukrainian Council of Gunsmiths, Ihor Fedirko, as of early 2026 Ukrainian companies are capable of producing approximately up to 2,000 interceptor drones per day. This includes both dedicated interceptor platforms and FPV drones adapted to engage aerial targets. Despite active discussion of the topic, there is still no consolidated public list of such drones. And this is not accidental.
“I am aware of at least 18 names of serial products that can be classified as interceptor drones or specialized FPV drones for engaging aerial targets. This is a minimum figure. The real number is higher, taking into account non-public modifications, internal product lines of manufacturers, and systems that are listed under different indices,”says Ihor Fedirko.
According to him, the absence of public statistics is a deliberate regime of limited disclosure. Some programs operate under closed contracts, others move through rapid iterations without public announcements. Wartime conditions force manufacturers to constantly change configurations, software, and even usage tactics.
FPV interceptors as a separate class of weapons
The majority of interceptor drones discussed belong to the FPV class. However, these are not the FPV drones used to strike ground targets. These systems are designed specifically to counter enemy UAVs, primarily strike drones such as the Shahed. Some of these products function as standalone interceptors, while others are elements of tactical counter-air systems integrated into short-range air defense.
“Companies are also producing approximately up to 2,000 interceptor drones per day. The most well-known solutions are already being used serially at the front and are manufactured by several Ukrainian producers,”Fedirko уточнює.
Funding for interceptor drones is provided within the broader programs for procuring weapons and unmanned systems. There is no rigid attachment to specific models, which, according to experts, allows production to scale without unnecessary constraints. According to the Defence Procurement Agency, more than UAH 3 billion in contracts specifically for interceptor drones were recorded in 2025. Ihor Fedirko emphasizes that this is only the confirmed public minimum.
“The real volumes are higher. The key result of 2025 was the launch of framework contracts and advance financing of production, which allowed manufacturers to move to stable output,” he notes.
In the 2026 budget, more than UAH 700 billion is allocated in total for the procurement of weapons, military equipment, ammunition, and drones. Interceptor drones are financed within this pool. In parallel, procurement through DOT-Chain Defence is being scaled, where drones and electronic warfare systems are supplied in large lots.
How this correlates with real figures at the front
In early 2026, then Minister of Defense Denys Shmyhal stated that around 1,500 drones are supplied to the military per day. According to Ihor Fedirko, such a pace is possible only with functioning serial production lines and stable financing, which had already been secured in 2025.
“This figure includes all types of FPV drones, but interceptor drones are one of the key elements of this flow, because the demand for them is directly linked to the daily aerial threat,” he adds.
Assessments from the front are not uniform, and this is not concealed. For a new class of weapons, such a situation is expected.
“This is a young UAV sector that is developing at an extremely high speed. Products are constantly refined based on combat use: configurations, software, component base, and tactics of employment are changing,” Fedirko explains.
At the same time, a significant share of interceptor drones already demonstrates stable effectiveness. According to him, the adversary currently does not have an ecosystem of interceptor drones comparable in scale and maturity.
“There are only isolated attempts and individual samples, but there is no mass serial production, rapid refinement, or daily systematic use,” he concludes.
Why interception statistics have surged
Since mid-January 2026, the daily number of Russian UAVs shot down by Ukraine’s Defense Forces has exceeded 1,000 units. Previously, the average was around 350 UAVs per day. Thus, from January 14 this figure increased by nearly 200%. In particular, on January 21, 1,019 unmanned aerial vehicles of the “Gerbera” type and other models were destroyed. The head of the Communications Directorate of the Air Force Command, Yurii Ihnat, explains that one of the main reasons for the sharp increase was the enemy’s use of drones in significantly larger volumes.
“The enemy began using many times more frontline FPV drones, in particular the ‘Molniya’ type. Formally, they are classified as FPV, but the situation changed due to modernization,” Ihnat notes.
According to him, after fiber-optic communication was installed, these drones began operating at much greater distances.
“If a drone flies 50 kilometers via fiber-optic control, it is logical to classify it as an operational-tactical class,” he explains.
This is why “Molniya” drones were included in the operational-tactical UAV statistics along with Shaheds, Gerberas, Italmas, reconnaissance, and jet-powered drones.
The role of new approaches in air defense
The head of air defense of the Third Army Corps, Ukrainian Armed Forces captain Vitalii Samoilenko, callsign “Bochka,” links the increase in effectiveness not to a single factor but to comprehensive changes.
“Among the main factors influencing effectiveness, we identify improved weather conditions, which made it possible to use air defense assets, including interceptor UAVs, which are currently a fairly effective means of destroying aerial targets,” he notes.
The second factor was the expansion of air defense unit capabilities, the construction of layered air defense, and the formation of a separate corps-level unit the 1030th Separate Anti-Aircraft Missile Battalion ‘Aquila’, which is already carrying out combat missions.
Experience sharing, new combat management systems, improved interaction between units, and the use of new tactical-level radar systems have also played an important role. At the same time, Samoilenko points to a systemic problem.
“Unfortunately, we are seeing a negative trend of a reduction in short-range air defense assets within the Ground Forces’ air defense units, therefore the main means of destroying aerial targets are interceptor UAV units,” he emphasizes.
According to him, the effectiveness of such units significantly depends on weather conditions, which must also be taken into account when assessing the statistics.
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