As Russia launches its largest aerial attacks of the war, overwhelming Ukrainian defenses with thousands of one-way attack drones and hundreds of advanced missiles, clearing the sky has become a key priority.
Four years into the war, Ukraine has developed its expertise in dealing with waves of Shahed-type drones, using machine guns, helicopters and electronic warfare to destroy them. Now, as Kyiv appeals to allies for Patriot interceptors to shoot down missiles, it’s leaning on cheap drones to defend cities from drone swarms.
WSJ got exclusive access to film the teams of pilots and navigators in the Lasar’s Group of the National Guard of Ukraine who are pivoting from attacks on Russian heavy equipment to hunting their drones.
Chapters:
0:00 Ukraine’s Lasar’s Group
1:36 Ukraine’s new interceptors for Russian drones
3:19 Prepping and deploying interceptors
5:51 The challenges
8:23 Watching a test flight
10:36 AI targeting
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