Ukrainian forces used an anti-aircraft FPV drone to target a Russian reconnaissance-strike drone flying at over 4 kilometers in altitude.
According to Ukrainian military sources, the attempted intercept took place at approximately 4,000 meters, targeting a Russian Forpost remotely piloted aircraft system.
This is believed to be one of the first recorded efforts to engage a high-altitude unmanned aircraft system (UAS) using a modified, first-person-view (FPV) drone configured for anti-aircraft operations.
The Forpost, originally based on the Israeli IAI Searcher II and produced under license in Russia, serves a dual purpose as both a reconnaissance platform and a strike drone. It can be equipped with precision-guided munitions such as the X-BPLA missile or the unguided KAB-20 aerial bomb.
Despite being damaged in the midair encounter, the Russian UAS reportedly evaded destruction and exited the area. However, the incident underscores Ukraine’s growing capability to threaten previously uncontested aerial assets using cost-effective and rapidly adapted unmanned technologies.
The emergence of anti-aircraft FPV drones reflects Ukraine’s broader strategy to innovate in the face of limited resources. These drones, typically used at low altitudes against infantry and vehicles, have now been proven capable of operating far above their original design parameters.