Ukraine's cheap interceptor drones are rewriting the rules of war

Tech Insider : Business, Style, Technology
Ukrainian holds the Sting, their face shrouded in shadow as the sun dips over the horizon.
A Ukrainian fighter holds a Sting, a $2,500 interceptor drone created by the Wild Hornets.

Wild Hornets

About a year into Russia's war, a Ukrainian drone instructor pitched what sounded to troops like science fiction: flying quadcopters into Moscow's scout drones midair.

Ukraine's drone operators say they have to negotiate safe passage past friendly jammers, sometimes over group chat

Tech Insider : Business, Politics, Technology
A man in camoflage gear and a helmet stands holding a large grey drone with blue tape on it, with another man assisting, in tall grass and under a blue sky
Ukraine needs drones for its defense, but it needs to make sure its own electronic warfare doesn't get in its way.

Serhii Korovainyi/REUTERS

A Ukrainian startup is turning to AI to outsmart the Russian ambush drones blowing up supply trucks

Tech Insider : Business, Environment, Technology
A mockup shows a quadcopter drone flying over a supply road while detecting explosive threats on the ground.
A mockup of Blue Eyes' function shows how Dropla intends for the real-time surveillance product to be used.

Dropla

Former Air Force drone operator says the job isn't like a video game. 'There's not a single game in the world that can prep you.'

Tech Insider : Business, Style
A man in military uniform standing in front of large drone.
Tanner Yackley standing in front of a military drone.

Courtesy of Tanner Yackley

Europe is making a cheap anti-drone rocket for Ukraine that blasts a cloud of steel balls

Tech Insider : Business
An overview photo of the FZ123 warhead on a table.
A to-scale model of the FZ123 warhead.

VIRGINIE LEFOUR/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images

Russians say they found unjammable fiber-optic drones in Ukraine's uncrewed sea vehicles

Tech Insider : Business
An FPV drone equipped with fiber-optic long-distance data transmission is seen during training by Polish soldiers.
Russian reports say that fiber-optic drones have been found on board a Ukrainian naval drone that acted as a carrier.

Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images

A Russian decoy for the Shahed was found with cameras on its back, highlighting how Moscow is adapting in the drone war

Tech Insider : Business, Environment, Technology
A Ukrainian official inspects the remains of a Gerbera in July 2025.
Gerberas, such as the one pictured here in Kharkiv, are typically made of wood, plastic, or foam to keep costs down.

Scott Peterson/Getty Images

The world feared Ukraine would fall to Russia in days. Now it's teaching NATO forces how to fight a new kind of war.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
A Ukrainian mobile fire group opens fire into the sky.
Ukraine has been sending out machine gun crews with trucks to take down Shaheds, a tactic born out of necessity.

Oxana Chorna/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

NATO's style of destroying Russian drones in Poland was 'not the way' to effectively defend its skies, Zelenskyy says

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Firefighters work on the destroyed roof of a house, after Russian drones violated Polish airspace during an attack on Ukraine.
Firefighters work on the destroyed roof of a house, after Russian drones violated Polish airspace during an attack on Ukraine on Wednesday.

Kacper Pempel/REUTERS

Ukraine's strikingly cost-efficient drones are getting the $7 billion boost they need for mass production

Tech Insider : Business, Style
A drone pilot operates an FPV drone during a training flight in August 2025.
Ukraine's decentralized drone industry is driven by a network of military units and private manufacturers who are connected via a market-like network.

GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images

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