Commander of the Achilles Unmanned Systems Regiment Yuriy Fedorenko said that Ukraine was able to create a powerful industry for the production of strike drones, capable of striking targets deep behind enemy lines, from almost nothing. At the same time, according to him, Russia still has an advantage in the pace of production and technical characteristics of UAVs.
In an interview with UNIAN, Fedorenko explained that Ukraine's current breakthrough in the drone industry was made possible by the combined efforts of the state, volunteers, and private companies. However, this does not negate the fact that the Russian Federation has significantly scaled up the production of "Shaheds" - serial loitering munitions and their analogues.
“They have 'Shaheeds', they have modernized them, increased production many times over. Now they have a bar of up to 500 drones per day. They changed the design, strengthened electronic warfare protection, raised the flight altitude to 2 km, which complicates the work of our mobile groups,” he explained.
Despite this, the Ukrainian side is already developing new technologies — in particular, interceptor drones, which in the future should counteract the modernized Shaheds.
“We are working on jet interceptors. But, to be honest, we are doing it today for the day before yesterday. We need to speed up,” Fedorenko noted.
He emphasized that a real breakthrough requires large-scale funding, which should come not only from the state. In his opinion, supporting the production of drones is the business of every citizen.
“If every Ukrainian helps one initiative in the field of UAVs at least once a month, it will give a systemic result. Because drone warfare is no longer the future, but the present,” the commander emphasized.
