First private "short-range air defense" unit: Wild Hornets reveals results of hunt for Shaheds
Drone Industry
Ukrainian MilTech company Wild Hornets has released the results of the Night Hornets’ operations, Ukraine’s first private "short-range air defense" unit.
Its test pilots help carry out missions to protect Ukrainian airspace and have already destroyed 36 enemy targets, most of them using remote-controlled technology for interceptor drones.
Its crews include both veterans with real combat experience and young pilots honing their skills. The unit’s operations are financed entirely by Wild Hornets, the company told Censor.NET’s Drone Industry project.
The Night Hornets have been working with the Defense Forces since 2024. Together with Ukrainian troops, they were directly involved in developing and testing prototypes of high-speed Sting interceptor drones under combat conditions. This makes the unit Ukraine’s first private "short-range air defense" crew.
Since the summer of 2025, Night Hornets instructors have trained Ukrainian troops to operate Sting interceptors effectively, preparing more than 1,000 pilots during this time.
The Night Hornets now combine training with protecting Ukrainian airspace. During the day, the instructors train Ukrainian troops, while at night they help carry out combat missions in direct cooperation with Defense Forces units.
They are able to combine teaching with combat missions thanks to Hornet Vision Ctrl, a remote drone-control technology developed by Wild Hornets.
"We can now both train people and operate effectively in the sector entrusted to us. Thanks to Hornet Vision Ctrl, we have already confirmed 21 targets shot down and nine or ten targets hit within a short period. Our crew has shot down a total of 36 targets," said the commander of the Night Hornets unit, who uses the call sign Pylyp.
He noted that the remote-control system allows a pilot to cover five to ten positions near the frontline simultaneously instead of just one.
"Thanks to Hornet Vision Ctrl technology, we can operate hundreds of kilometers away while remaining in the Kyiv region. Our positions are located in eastern Ukraine, where spotters are waiting for us. When a target appears, they quickly prepare the drone, and we can engage it remotely," the Night Hornets commander explained.
He added that combining training with combat operations allows the instructors to maintain the highest level of proficiency.
"This has a positive effect on our instructors because every one of them has up-to-date combat experience. We must confront the enemy and save lives, and we also have the best tool for doing so," Pylyp concluded.
A video interview with the Night Hornets pilots is available at the link.
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.
