KHARKIV — Ukraine's 127th Brigade has established an air defense unit centered on interceptor drone crews near Kharkiv to counter waves of Iranian-designed Shahed drones launched by Russia. The unit deploys self-made interceptor drones that continuously adapt their technology to intercept enemy drones in flight.

Russia launches Iranian-designed Shahed drones in waves over eastern Ukraine, with teams like the 127th Brigade's deployed across the country to counter these low-cost loitering munitions. The Shahed drones first appeared in Ukraine in autumn 2022 and have at times overwhelmed Western-made air defenses.

"It's not like we sat down one day and decided to fight with drones," said a pilot with Ukraine's 127th Brigade. "We did it because we had nothing else."

The interceptor drone crew model is increasingly adopted across the Ukrainian military. A 27-year-old captain leads the 127th Brigade's interceptor drone effort after previously organizing a similar system in another formation. Two years ago, the captain led soldiers armed with shoulder-fired air-defense missiles to intercept Russian reconnaissance drones, but that approach proved ineffective.

A Russian Orlan reconnaissance drone transmitted coordinates to guide Russian artillery over a Ukrainian position, and a Ukrainian pilot downed it using another drone. The wreckage of the Orlan reconnaissance drone burned as it fell to the ground and was never found.

The captain partnered with a local defense company in Kharkiv to develop aircraft-style interceptor drones capable of matching Shahed drone speeds. "It has to work — and work properly — and perform real combat tasks. That's why communication with the military is so important. They give us feedback and help us improve it every time," said the director of the defense company.

Ukrainian crews often preserve and reuse single-use drones to study their weaknesses and improve them. The crew from the 127th Brigade tests and fine-tunes their self-made interceptor drones while waiting for threats.

"Just imagine — a Patriot missile costs about $2 million, and here you have a small aircraft worth about $2,200. And if it doesn't hit the target, I can land it, fix it a bit and send it back into the air. The difference is huge," said a pilot with Ukraine's 127th Brigade.

The Come Back Alive Foundation launched a project called "Dronopad" in summer 2024 to help scale early interceptor drone successes into a structured system. Taras Tymochko leads the Dronopad project. "It's always action and counteraction," said Tymochko.

Ukraine's domestic drone interceptor market has grown in recent years and produces key players who showcase products at international arms shows. According to Tymochko, both sides develop ways to counter enemy drones and improve their technology to neutralize responses.