In an effort to blunt Russia’s drone assaults, Ukraine is deploying a new, speedy interceptor drone designed to hunt down and destroy the Iranian-made Shahed-136 drone that Russia frequently launches in large waves.

The Sting was developed by Wild Hornets, a Ukrainian tech company founded in 2023 that works closely with elite military units and specializes in combat-ready first-person-view (FPV) drones. The Sting reportedly reaches speeds of up to 195 mph, far outpacing the Shahed-136, which tops out at 115 mph and carries more than 100 pounds of explosives.

Video released by Wild Hornets showed the Sting whistling over fields and accelerating to an on-screen display of 315 kilometers per hour, a speed comparable to many high-velocity bullet trains. At about $2,500 per unit, it is intended as a mass-produced tool to intercept and disable kamikaze drones before they reach their targets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently announced a goal of manufacturing 1,000 interceptor drones per day.

Ukrainian forces have already used the Sting to destroy about 100 Shahed drones, according to Wild Hornets.  But that represents a small portion of the total number of Shahed drones launched. Russia sent more than 6,000 Shaheds into Ukrainian territory in July alone, overwhelming air-defense units despite the use of machine guns, traditional surface-to-air defenses and radar-directed interceptors. Ukrainian officials say that 86 to 89 percent of the drones Russia launches are intercepted or disabled.

Russia, meanwhile, is adapting its own tactics. Its drone operators have been flying the Shaheds higher and faster to avoid ground-based defenses, and Russian military planners are reportedly working on a jet-powered version of the drone that could reach speeds of up to 500 mph.

Wild Hornets developed the Sting as part of a broader program to expand Ukraine’s arsenal of FPV drones. Its product line includes kamikaze drones, digital ground control stations, reconnaissance drones equipped for nighttime use and the Queen Hornet — a heavy-bomber drone platform capable of laying mines, relaying battlefield communications and carrying smaller drones.

The Ukrainians are using drones as a force multiplier to deal with Russia’s might. They recently launched a clandestine drone attack inside Russia by smuggling in drones and then activating them to carry out a synchronized attack on Russian airfields. Ukraine also uses drones to keep track of Russian troop locations. Their use of drones has become a case study in military strategy that will likely influence how nations deploy forces and the tools of war in future conflicts. 

“Verified data show our drones have neutralized 1738 enemy assets . . .” Wild Hornets states.

“The Wild Hornets helped pioneer the use of FPV drones for combat use. These have revolutionized warfare around the world. FPV drones today inflict the majority of enemy combat losses in Ukraine. As of March 2025, Wild Hornets drones had caused $1.63 billion in estimated invader losses. In the skies, our air-defense drones helped reduce enemy Lancet drone strikes at the front by 75% within two months of their introduction.

We’ve spearheaded key advances in FPV drone warfare. We produced some of Ukraine’s first night-capable drones. Our team also helped launch Ukraine’s FPV air-defense capability with the fastest drones in Ukrainian service.

Queen Hornets opened a new chapter in Ukraine’s drone warfare — with cost-effective heavy bombers. These multirole drone platforms are also extensively used as mine layers, signal repeaters and carriers of supplies and smaller drones. They’re also among the first drones to be equipped with incendiary munitions, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and assault rifles. Our goal is to supply Queen Hornets to all Ukrainian units.

Our drones have contributed to Ukraine becoming the world’s drone leader and decisively swayed many major battles. Ukrainian drone pilots using our drones have received many high military decorations.”