Interceptor Drones Downed Over 40% of Shahed UAVs During Massive May 24 Attack
The Ukrainian Defense Forces increased the number of Russian Shahed kamikaze drones shot down during the massive attack on May 24, 2026.
Military radio technology expert and advisor to Defence Minister of Ukraine, Serhii Flash Beskrestnov, said that interceptor drones were responsible for more than 40% of all Shahed drones destroyed during the attack.
He explained that Russia tried to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defense systems by launching large waves of drones from several directions at once.
Militarnyi previously reported that Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated that Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces destroyed nearly 950 enemy aerial targets in April using interceptor drones.
In particular, Ukrainian forces neutralized 670 Shahed-type attack drones, accounting for more than 50% of all enemy drones targeted by these units. Overall, the Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed more than 2,100 aerial targets in April, while the Army Aviation of the Ground Forces shot down over 500 enemy UAVs.
In February 2026, interceptor drones neutralized more than 1,500 targets, while in March the number of destroyed aerial objects increased by nearly 55%, surpassing 2,300 units since the beginning of spring.
