Ukrainian Police Force used an inexpensive airborne interceptor drone to take down an expensive Russian Reconnaissance drone that coordinates attacks in air-to-air kill.

July 13, 2025

On the Toretsk front, troops from the Khyzhak (Predator) brigade of the Ukrainian Patrol Police Department destroyed a Russian ZALA reconnaissance drone system using an interceptor UAV.

According to Ukrinform, this was reported by Deputy Head of the Patrol Police Department Oleksii Biloshytskyi on Telegram, where he also published the video footage.

“FPV air defense operators from the Khyzhak brigade destroyed a Russian ZALA drone — an expensive reconnaissance system the enemy used to coordinate attacks. But this time, it failed. A single precise detonation by an FPV drone — and the enemy device goes down,” the video caption states.

Biloshytskyi noted that intercepting a reconnaissance drone is no easy task. It requires precise coordination, the right launch timing, altitude buffer, and skilled operators.

He emphasized that FPV air defense represents a new era in the battle for the skies. Unlike traditional anti-aircraft systems, interceptor drones are significantly cheaper, capable of patrolling designated areas, and in the future, could become reusable.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/56202