The Latest Military Drone Advances in Ukraine
From shotgun wielding drones and drone motherships, to grenade launching ground drones—here are the latest drone tech advances from Ukraine.
Over the past decade, drones have evolved from niche gadgets into powerful tools shaping military strategy, humanitarian efforts, and even daily life. Nowhere is this transformation more evident than in Ukraine, where cutting-edge drone technology is playing a pivotal role in both defence and civilian sectors. In effect, what started as a supplement to conventional tactics has grown into an essential component of modern warfare and reconstruction.
One of the biggest factors behind the rapid advance of drone technology in the Russia/Ukraine war has been the Ukrainian government’s approach to funding and support for its drone production sector. In a nutshell, Kyiv has been actively fostering innovation by collaborating with numerous small companies, leading to a diverse array of designs and applications.
A significant initiative in this effort is the Brave1 platform, which unites industry stakeholders, provides grants to developers, and supports priority projects. As of October 2023, Brave1 had funded 57 projects across various domains, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs), and artificial intelligence applications, distributing millions in grants and purchase orders.
In addition to these efforts, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has implemented a strategy to empower combat units with direct funding for drone procurement. With Defense News reporting that, starting in January 2025, the ministry allocated approximately $60 million per month to combat units, enabling commanders to purchase drones tailored to their specific operational needs.
This collaborative approach has led to the emergence of over 200 new munitions companies, primarily focusing on drone production. The government's support through tax incentives, deregulation, and grants has been instrumental in this growth.
With this in mind, here is an overview of some of the latest developments that Ukraine’s drone sector has brought to the war against Russia.
Drone Motherships
While Ukraine has fielded big ‘mothership’ drones capable of carrying and eventually deploying a fleet of smaller attack drones for some time, it seems that only now is this technological advance bringing battlefield success.
Nate Anderson, a Deputy Editor at the technology journal Ars Technica, reporting how he, “came across footage of a mothership drone launching an attack drone to take down a much larger Russian surveillance drone. In the video, the mothership gets in position above and behind the Russian drone, then launches a small quadcopter drone that races toward the Russian drone and explodes. Fragments of both drones float down as the mothership films the action.”
Drones with Built-In Shotguns
Since the start of the war, Ukrainians have strapped everything possible to their drones, including grenades, mines, RPGs, and even thermite. Guns, however, have proven to be a more difficult challenge because of their recoil, but this does not mean that Ukrainian drone designers have given up.
As a recent report by the Kyiv Post notes, a viral video on social media, “shows a Ukrainian drone [armed with a built-in shotgun], downing three Russian Mavics, then firing at a Russian soldier with the shotgun before dropping a grenade on him.”
As Anderson notes, “A drone with two shotgun barrels, out hunting another drone—welcome to war in 2025.”
Naval Drones with Surface-to-Air Missiles
Ukraine’s fleet of naval surface drones have already shocked the world with considerable success against the much larger Russian Black Sea Fleet. However, in December 2024, further technological advances came to light with news of surface-to-air missiles being attached to surface drones.
Yet again, this development is more than just a novelty, with the Ukrainian news agency, RBC-Ukraine, reporting how, “Ukrainian soldiers from the special unit of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) ‘Group 13’ destroyed an aerial target for the first time in the world using a Magura V5 strike naval drone. The target was a Russian Mi-8 helicopter.”
The report noting how, “the Ukrainian Magura V5 naval drone is equipped with R-73 SeeDragon missiles, which were used to strike the Russian helicopter.”
A further Russian helicopter was also hit but was able to return to base despite the damage it incurred.
Grenade-launching Ground Drones
According to Ukraine's military, a small, tracked, ground drone, called the Burya, has been developed, successfully used in combat, and is now being produced at scale. Designed to attack aerial drones, the small vehicle can carry as many as 64 grenades and uses, “fire-control software and gyro stabilization to aim and fire a grenade up to 100 meters.”
The Burya weighs 47kg and carries a Mk 19 40-mm grenade launcher which it can fire while stationary or on the move. Such has been the success of the design that its manufacturers, a company called Frontline, are further developing the project.
“We are planning to combine the turret’s targeting system with data from reconnaissance UAVs (uncrewed aerial vehicles) to transmit coordinates to the target in live mode,” explained a company spokesperson.
With technological advances like these in use in Ukrainian military drones it is clear that they represent a new frontier in modern warfare, blending innovation with necessity. From grenade launchers, surface-to-air missiles, and shotgun-equipped UAVs, these developments are reshaping battlefield tactics and strategy.
As the conflict continues, Ukraine’s drone technology serves not only as a critical defence tool but also as a powerful symbol of resilience and ingenuity. For what makes Ukraine’s approach unique is its open collaboration with small companies and tech start-ups, which fuels rapid prototyping and a wide range of designs.
Related articles: Drone Warfare to Become Reality or The Growing Role of Ground Drones in Ukraine
As a recent report in the Wall Street Journal notes, “Kyiv’s now formidable drone army has been built mostly by private companies, few of which existed when the full-scale invasion began. [In essence] they are betting that a free market for weapons production can out-innovate Russia.”
Given the technological advances being made in the military drone sector, it seems clear, on this front at least, that Ukraine is winning.
