July 22, 2025
As Russia increases its use of drones over missiles in attacks on Ukraine, NV asked leading military experts to assess which air defense tools are proving most effective against this growing aerial threat.
Moscow has been steadily shifting from cruise missile attacks to mass drone assaults. On the night of July 9, Russia launched a record 728 drones in a single wave, including Shahed kamikaze drones and decoys. A day later, at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia could soon be launching up to 1,000 drones per day.
To assess Ukraine’s air defense capabilities against such threats, NV consulted five military experts: Serhiy Berezutskyi, armored warfare analyst; Mykhailo Zhyrokhov, aviation historian and military expert; Viktor Kevlyuk, retired colonel and Defense Strategies Center analyst; Denys Popovych, military observer; and Anatolii Khrapchynskyi, aviation expert and former Ukrainian Air Force officer.
Each expert was asked to name at least three of Ukraine’s most effective tools or methods for intercepting drones. Each mention counted as one point in NV’s overall ranking.
1. Gepard Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (5 Points)
The German-made Gepard tops the list, earning unanimous praise from all five experts as the most effective weapon against Russian drones.
Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun / Photo: Romanian Ministry of National Defence
Weighing 46 tons and mounted on a modified Leopard 1 tank chassis, the Gepard entered service in Ukraine three years ago. Initially designed to defend against low-flying aircraft and helicopters, it was met with skepticism when first deployed in mid-2022, as many experts doubted its usefulness against cruise missiles like Russia’s Kh-101 or Kalibr.
But the system quickly proved its worth in the fall of 2022, when Russian forces began deploying Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones en masse. The Gepard’s dual 35mm autocannons and dual radar systems with a detection range of up to 15 km made it ideally suited to shoot down these low-altitude, slow-moving targets.
“The Gepard is extremely effective against Shahed drones thanks to its high rate of fire and powerful short-range radar,” said retired Col. Kevlyuk.
Zhyrokhov added that the Gepard’s effectiveness stems from its original purpose — countering small aerial threats — and its ability to fire 35mm AHEAD airburst munitions.
With over 100 Gepards currently in Ukrainian service, their success has prompted German manufacturer KNDS to offer Ukraine an upgrade package in early 2025. The proposed modernization would include improved radar and tracking, a ballistic computer, laser rangefinder, GPS, and encrypted communications — enhancing their ability to intercept both advanced drones and cruise missiles.
2. Mobile Fire Teams (3 Points)
“Mobile fire teams are exactly what we need against drones,” said Kevlyuk. “But it’s important to understand they are a tactic, not a standalone weapon.”
Formed in late 2022, Ukraine’s mobile fire teams are equipped with heavy machine guns, man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) like the Polish Piorun and American Stinger, or anti-aircraft guns mounted on pickups, Jeeps, and ATVs.
These units have played a crucial role in downing Shaheds and decoy drones like the Geran and Parodiy. MANPADS use infrared homing surface-to-air missiles to strike drones flying at low and medium altitudes, while .50-caliber machine guns have also shown effectiveness against slow drones.
Among the most successful weapons in this context are the American Browning M2 and Turkish Canik M2 QCB. Like the Gepard, the Browning M2 was initially dismissed — a relic of the 1920s — but has since proven highly effective in shooting down Shahed drones.
12.7 mm Browning M2 heavy machine gun / Photo: Dmytro Smolienko / Ukrinform / NurPhoto via Reuters
Zhyrokhov noted that Soviet-era 23mm ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns, used widely by Ukrainian infantry, remain one of the most reliable drone-killers due to their rate of fire and effective range of up to 2,500 meters.
According to Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, mobile fire teams are now responsible for downing roughly 40% of all enemy drones — securing their place at No. 2 in NV’s ranking.
3. Interceptor Drones (3 Points)
Although not yet widely deployed, Ukrainian-made interceptor drones were seen by NV’s experts as one of the most promising innovations.
“Despite being in early development, this technology holds tremendous potential,” said Berezutskyi.
Новітній український дрон-перехоплювач / Photo: REUTERS / Valentyn Ogirenko
Khrapchynskyi agreed, calling interceptor drones a “game-changing” technology that will play an increasingly important role in defending against Shaheds.
Zhyrokhov pointed out that their effectiveness largely depends on operator skill, drone altitude, and interception geometry — chasing a fast-moving airborne target using video navigation is no easy task.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces first reported successful use of reactive interceptor drones in March 2025, when operators from the Darknode unit of the 412th Nemesis Regiment shot down over a dozen Shaheds with an ultra-low-cost drone platform — reportedly 30 times cheaper than its targets.
The interceptor’s specifications remain classified, though developers claim a top speed of 200 km/h and an operational ceiling of 5 km. President Zelenskyy has repeatedly praised this domestic innovation as a key pillar of Ukraine’s wartime tech advantage. Kyiv officials recently announced the launch of the “Clean Sky” initiative to deploy interceptor drones around the capital.
4. IRIS-T SLM Air Defense System (3 Points)
The German-made IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defense system also received strong reviews from experts.
Зенітний ракетний комплекс IRIS-T / Photo: Повітряне командування Захід Повітряних сил ЗСУ
Designed to engage aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and drones, the IRIS-T is equipped with radar-guided missiles featuring infrared homing capabilities. Its precision and adaptability make it highly effective against drones.
However, the system’s high cost and limited availability in Ukraine — only around six units as of early 2025 — limit its impact. Moreover, its functionality depends entirely on a steady supply of German-made missiles.
5. Manned Aviation (3 Points)
Ukraine’s Air Force also contributes to counter-drone operations using fighter jets, helicopters, and light aircraft.
Early in the Shahed campaign, Ukrainian MiG-29s and later F-16s were used to intercept drones. However, this is a risky tactic: drone warheads produce fragmentation clouds that can damage or destroy the attacking aircraft. Military analysts believe at least two Ukrainian F-16s may have been lost this way.
Винищувачі F-16 у небі над Україною / Photo: Командування Повітряних сил ЗСУ
Armed Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters are also used, along with light civilian aircraft retrofitted with machine guns. According to Syrskyi, Ukraine has recently acquired modern light aircraft with better weapons and navigation systems to improve drone interception.
Still, light aviation is only effective in good visibility and daylight, limiting its usefulness. As such, aviation rounds out NV’s top five.
6. Electronic Warfare Systems (1 Point)
While not a kinetic weapon, electronic warfare (EW) is a crucial pillar of Ukraine’s drone defense, said Khrapchynskyi.
Українські системи радіоелектронної боротьби / Photo: Kaniuka Ruslan / Ukrinform / Sipa US via Reuters
By using GPS spoofing and jamming, EW systems can disrupt drone navigation, knocking Shaheds off course or forcing crashes. These incidents are often recorded as “location lost” in official reports.
Khrapchynskyi noted that Russian engineers are responding by upgrading Shaheds with up to 16 CRPA antennas for improved resistance to jamming — a sign of how effective Ukraine’s EW systems have become.
Despite receiving only one point in NV’s expert poll, EW remains an indispensable part of the country’s defense network.
An interesting summary of Ukraine’s drone killers. I suppose that this can be taken with a grain of salt, seeing that the less the enemy knows, the better.
My guess is that manned aircraft of various sorts will eventually be the top choice in defending against mafia land’s murderous drones, unless some sort of super EW or laser weapon comes along.
Surprised Skynex wasn’t mentioned;
Yes, I was thinking about this, too. Maybe they haven’t been there long enough yet? Maybe they are junk?
Either is possible but most likely the first, too new on the scene.
Maybe because they’re pricey? For the cost of 1 unit you could buy 2 new F-16s
The best defence against drone attacks is the destruction of the factories manufacturing them.