Source: https://
united24media.com/war-in-ukraine
/how-ukraine-started-2026-with-record-anti-shahed-drone-production-and-a-new-era-in-air-defense-14847
…

→ View original post on X — @mylovanov

Europe is watching because Russian drones already violate NATO airspace. Britain aims to produce 2,000 interceptor drones per month for Ukraine under the UK-Ukraine project “Octopus.” 9X

→ View original post on X — @mylovanov

Ukraine also had to build a new job: the interceptor operator. This is not strike FPV work. Pilots track a moving aerial target, manage altitude and closure speed, and decide fast, often at night. Ukraine built dedicated training pipelines and teams. 8/

→ View original post on X — @mylovanov

Ukraine plugs interceptor FPVs into a layered network: radar, mobile sensors, acoustic detection, visual observers, EW teams, Gepards, mobile fire groups, and missile batteries. Recon UAVs cue launches beyond radar coverage and cut response time to minutes. 7/

→ View original post on X — @mylovanov

FPV interceptors also cover a gap in altitude. Some Russian drones fly up to 5 km. That can sit above the effective envelope of Gepards and many mobile gun teams, while still not justifying a costly missile shot. 6/

→ View original post on X — @mylovanov

These drones do not replace Patriots, NASAMS, IRIS-T, or SAMP/T. They preserve them. Ukraine saves high-end interceptors for ballistic and cruise missiles and uses FPV interceptors to thin out drone swarms. 4/

→ View original post on X — @mylovanov

Ukraine rebuilt production for air defense. Strike FPVs could be assembled ad hoc. Interception needs repeatability. In 2025, Ukraine standardized frames, propulsion, optics, and guidance for speed, climb rate, and terminal accuracy. 5/

→ View original post on X — @mylovanov

Zelenskyy pushed interceptor drones from an experiment to a core air-defense tool in July. By January 2026, Ukraine scaled output to 1,500/day and built these FPVs specifically to hunt Shahed-type drones and other low-cost aerial targets. 2/

→ View original post on X — @mylovanov

Zelenskyy: these interceptors now hit an average 68% success rate. Russia can launch hundreds of drones fast. Missile-only defense bleeds stockpiles and money. Interceptor FPVs absorb the mass. 3/

→ View original post on X — @mylovanov

Ukraine is producing 1,500 FPV interceptor drones per day.

Each costs $3,000–$5,000. A Russian Shahed costs $100,000. Ukraine is trying to win the air war by matching cheap threats with cheap counters, not $1M+ missiles — United24. 1/ pic.twitter.com/L96G78Nx6g

— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) 11 janvier 2026

Ukraine is producing 1,500 FPV interceptor drones per day. Each costs $3,000–$5,000. A Russian Shahed costs $100,000. Ukraine is trying to win the air war by matching cheap threats with cheap counters, not $1M+ missiles — United24. 1/

→ View original post on X — @mylovanov