"Bars" interceptors have achieved highest shoot-down rate for jet-powered drones, - Zelenskyy
Drone Industry
The ‘Bars’ interceptors achieved the highest percentage of Russian jet drones shot down. They achieved an interception rate of around 30 per cent for enemy targets.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about this during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Kyiv, according to Censor.NET.
The effectiveness of the ‘Bars’
"As for interceptor drones, the ‘Bars’ have shown positive results: they have the highest success rate. The others are catching up too. These are long-range drones, almost like missiles. And at the moment they’re achieving a success rate of around 30 per cent. But the figures are rising," said the Head of State.
He noted that Ukraine is producing these interceptor drones in collaboration with Germany.
"We are grateful to Germany. We will receive 2,000 'Bars', which we are manufacturing jointly," said the President.
It should be noted that Zelenskyy also stated that more than 12 turrets have already been installed in Kyiv to provide protection against jet drones, with a further eight planned for installation in the Kyiv region.
Ukraine’s countermeasures against Russian unmanned aerial vehicles
- Since May 2026, Russian forces have been launching the new ‘Geran-4’ jet-powered drones at Ukraine. They are faster and more manoeuvrable than previous versions.
- Ukraine has four potential interceptors capable of destroying jet-powered UAVs. They have already undergone field trials, but production needs to be scaled up to thousands of units.
- On 21 August, the Ukrainian Armed Forces commissioned the first Ukrainian jet-powered drone interceptor.
- On 28 September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the overall success rate for shooting down drones currently stands at 70 per cent, whilst that for jet aircraft is 57 per cent.
- On 29 September, Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara stated that the Air Force’s air defence systems must shoot down Russian targets before they reach Kyiv.
