Ukrainian Armed Forces pilots down first 1,000 Russian drones by remotely controlling Sting interceptors
Drone Industry
"Short-range air defence" crews have destroyed more than 1,000 Russian Shahed, Geran and Gerbera drones, as well as reconnaissance UAVs, using Hornet Vision Ctrl technology, which enables remote control of Sting interceptors.
The Wild Hornets company reported this to Censor.NET’s Drone Industry project.
In particular, more than 600 targets remotely downed in the Kyiv sector have been confirmed, while more than 350 destroyed targets have been recorded in the Odesa region. The remaining targets were destroyed in other sectors.
The number of enemy targets hit each week using remotely controlled interceptors continues to grow.
This is the result of the active deployment of Hornet Vision Ctrl technology, unveiled in March this year by the Ukrainian MilTech company Wild Hornets.
In April, Ukrainian pilots confirmed its effectiveness by destroying enemy targets for the first time while located more than 500 kilometres away. They also demonstrated the ability to remotely control a Sting interceptor drone from outside Ukraine at a distance of about 2,000 kilometres.
The technology began to be deployed across the Defence Forces in May. To accelerate the process, Wild Hornets provided 160 Hornet Vision Ctrl systems to combat units of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine free of charge. They are now helping destroy enemy targets in the most heavily contested sectors of the front.
About Hornet Vision Ctrl
Hornet Vision Ctrl became the first remote drone control system to be codified by the Ministry of Defense according to NATO standards and officially admitted for service in Ukraine's Defense Forces.
It allows qualified pilots to remain at a safe distance from the front line and remotely control interceptor drones by connecting to ground stations in areas where enemy targets have been detected. In particular, Hornet Vision Ctrl helps Ukrainian pilots shoot down ‘Shahed’ jet drones.
In addition, the technology opens up the possibility of remotely controlling drones launched from land-, sea-, and air-based platforms.
About the company "Wild Hornets"
Wild Hornets is a Ukrainian MilTech company engaged in the development and production of unmanned systems.
Wild Hornets was among the pioneers of using FPV drones for combat purposes and developed Sting, the most effective high-speed interceptor drone for destroying enemy Shahed-type kamikaze drones. Its emergence effectively shaped the interceptor drone niche in Ukraine.
The company combines leadership in this category with an ecosystem of combat drones and innovative communication technologies that will allow pilots to control drones remotely.
Drones produced by Wild Hornets are now used by more than 100 units of Ukraine's Defense Forces: the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the Special Operations Forces, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, the Air Force, and the State Border Guard Service.
As previously reported, according to confirmed data, in the first half of 2026, combat units of the Ukrainian Defence Forces shot down over 9,000 Russian drones of the ‘Shahed’, ‘Geran’ and ‘Gerbera’ types using high-speed Sting interceptor drones.
By this metric, Sting remains the most effective system in its class for the ninth consecutive month.
