Ukraine could begin mass deployment of interceptor drones within months, Budanov says

TLDR

• Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said prototype interceptor drones are now being tested in live combat against Russia's jet-powered Shahed drones, not just in labs, and are performing well.¹
• He said mass deployment could begin within a few months, without giving a firm date or naming the specific systems.¹
• Russia has launched more than 2,730 jet-powered Shaheds since the start of September, per figures President Zelenskyy cited on 26 September; over 1,500 have been shot down or suppressed.¹
• The jet-powered variant's interception rate stands at roughly 55%, against more than 90% for Russia's conventional, propeller-driven Shaheds.¹
• The comments follow a run of announcements this month: Zelenskyy reported successful test intercepts on 15 and 17 September, and ordered accelerated domestic production, including of jet engines, after a 25 September review.¹

Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Office of the President, told Novyny.LIVE that interceptor drone prototypes built to counter Russia's jet-powered Shahed drones are now being tested in real combat rather than in laboratories, and that they are performing well.¹ "We are now testing prototypes not as before in laboratories, but in real-world" conditions, he said, adding that widespread rollout could follow within a few months.¹

Budanov did not disclose specific interceptor system names, production quantities, or a firm deployment date.¹ His comments cap a month of incremental progress on the program: Zelenskyy first announced prototype high-speed interceptors on 3 September, reported a successful test interception of a jet-powered Shahed on 15 September, announced another successful downing on 17 September, and after a 25 September review of interception data ordered accelerated production plans plus new steps to manufacture jet engines domestically.¹ In his evening address on 26 September, Zelenskyy said several effective prototypes were already in combat use by some units.¹

Per data Zelenskyy cited that day, Russia has launched more than 2,730 jet-powered Shaheds since the start of September, of which over 1,500 were shot down or suppressed, an interception rate of about 55%.¹ That compares with an interception rate above 90% for Russia's conventional, propeller-driven Shaheds, underscoring why Kyiv is racing to field interceptors fast enough for the newer, faster threat.¹

Why it matters: jet-powered Shaheds fly faster and higher than Russia's earlier propeller-driven models, eroding Ukraine's air-defence interception rate; a working interceptor-drone program at scale would be a lower-cost way to close that gap than expanding missile-based defences.