First Footage Appears of Ukrainian Interceptor Drone Targeting Shahed

The Defense Forces of Ukraine have deployed a Sting interceptor drone, to combat Russian-Iranian Shahed-type strike drones.

A video of the interceptor being used was published by the Ukrainian Wild Hornets group.

This video is the first publicly known video of an interceptor drone targeting Shahed.

The footage, captured with a thermal imaging camera, appears to show the drone hitting the Shahed from below.

The video quality is sufficient to confirm the target was an actual Shahed rather than a Gerbera decoy, based on the aircraft’s distinct wingtips and pitot tubes.

Sting interceptor drone

The Sting interceptor, first reported in development in October 2024, is intended as a low-cost alternative to anti-aircraft missiles, which are often used to shoot down Shahed drones.

The quadcopter-style drone can reportedly reach speeds over 160 km/h and altitudes of around 3,000 meters.

Its dome-shaped central section houses a warhead and thermal camera, and it is manually piloted using VR goggles. According to the developers, Sting will eventually be equipped with an AI-assisted targeting system.

A representative of Wild Hornets said the cost of a Sting drone was “tens of times lower” than that of a Shahed, having allowed for more efficient use of resources.

The Darknode Unmanned Systems Forces unit, part of Ukraine’s 412th Separate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Regiment “NEMESIS”, has already used interceptor drones to shoot down 100 Shahed and Geran (a Russian designation for Shahed) drones.

The formation of the Darknode unit was announced in April. The unit is open to both military personnel and civilian volunteers willing to sign a contract.