Since the beginning of 2026, under the contracts of the DOT Defense Procurement Agency, the military has received twice as many interceptor drones as in the entire year of 2025. This was reported by Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov, according to UNN.
The Ministry of Defense continues to systematically increase the supply of interceptor drones to strengthen airspace protection using "small" air defense. Since the beginning of 2026, under the contracts of the DOT Defense Procurement Agency, the military has received twice as many such assets as in the entire year of 2025
According to him, the supply of interceptor drones is ensured through several channels:
- direct procurement under DOT DPA contracts;
- the Army of Drones.Bonus program;
- the DOT-Chain Defence weapons marketplace.
The use of different approaches ensures continuity of supply while simultaneously scaling its volumes. These drones have already proven their effectiveness in combat conditions and have significantly strengthened air defense. They reduce the burden on missile-based air defense, allowing its resources to be focused on countering enemy missiles. Anti-Shahed drones are a technological response to the enemy. They are hundreds of times cheaper than missile systems and dozens of times cheaper than Shaheds, which allows for the most efficient use of budget resources. The result is already tangible: in March, interceptor drones shot down a record 33,000+ enemy UAVs of various types
As a reminder
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia launched up to 1,900 drones, as well as up to 60 missiles and up to 1,400 KABs (guided aerial bombs) at Ukraine in a week; the drone shoot-down rate is over 90%, but the percentage must be constantly increased, including against ballistics.