Sting (drone)
| The Sting | |
|---|---|
The Sting being prepared for launch | |
| Type | Quadcopter, loitering munition, interceptor drone |
| Place of origin | Ukraine |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2024 |
| Used by | Ukraine |
| Wars | Russo-Ukrainian War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Wild Hornets |
| Manufacturer | Wild Hornets |
| Unit cost | $2,100 |
| Produced | 2024 |
| No. built | 10,000 units per month |
| Specifications | |
The Sting (Ukrainian: Стінг) is a Ukrainian drone-intercepting loitering munition developed during the Russo-Ukrainian war.[1]
Description
The Sting was developed by the Wild Hornets group for the purpose of intercepting the large number of Shahed drones that Russia use to attack Ukrainian cities and that can overwhelm other types of air defenses.
Built with a 3D printed, aerodynamic, bullet-shaped frame and propelled by four rotors,[2] the Sting can reach flight speeds of 213 mph (343 km/h) and cruise at an altitude of 10,000 ft (3,000 m).[3] It uses Kurbas thermal imaging cameras from Odd Systems.[4] Sting has an engagement range of up to 25 kilometers.[5]
Cost estimates for a Sting is around $2,100;[6] much cheaper than the estimated $35,000 cost of a Shahed drone.[2]
Operational history
In May 2025, the Wild Hornets published thermal imaging footage from a Sting interceptor as it downed a Shahed drone, "marking a breakthrough in frontline drone defense".[7][8][9]
On 1 August 2025 the supplier of the thermal cameras for the Sting claimed that it had intercepted "dozens of Iranian-Russian drones".[10]
In October 2025 a Ukrainian military delegation visited Denmark and successfully demonstrated the Sting against a QinetiQ Banshee target drone.[11]
As per October 2025, the Sting interceptor drones have destroyed over 1,000 enemy UAVs.[5]
In December 2025, the Sting became the first interceptor to down the Russian Geran-3, a jet-powered variant of the Shahed drone.[12]
As per February 2026, the Sting have destroyed over 3,900 Geran drones.[13]
The monthly production rate is over 10,000 units per month in March 2026.[14]
See also
- List of Russo-Ukrainian War military equipment
- UJ-25 Skyline – Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle
- UJ-26 Bober (drone) – Ukrainian long-range UAV
- Terminal Autonomy AQ-400 Scythe
- Shahed 238 – Iranian unmanned aerial combat vehicles
References
- ^ a b Barnes, Joe (2024-10-20). "Anti-drone drone developed by Ukraine to take out Iranian-designed kamikazes". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
- ^ a b Tyrer-Jones, Alex (2025-07-25). "Ukraine Deploys 3D Printed Drones to Combat Russian Shahed Swarms". 3dprintingindustry.com. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ Dubovyk, Tymur; Brown, Steve. "'Wild Hornets' Latest Development Will 'Sting' Russian Shahed Drones". www.kyivpost.com. Archived from the original on 2025-07-22. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ "Sting interceptor drones are equipped with thermal imaging cameras from Odd Systems". dev.ua. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
- ^ a b Shaikh, Kaif (3 November 2025). "Sting: Ukraine's $2,500 drones hunt 1,000 deadly Russian Shaheds in 4 months". Interesting Engineering.
- ^ Rathje, Miriam (2025-11-06). "Sting als "Beispiel für Europa": Was kann der neue "Drohnenkiller" der Ukraine ?". TagesSpiegel.
- ^ Syngaivska, Sofiia (19 May 2025). "New Video Captures the Moment Ukrainian Sting FPV Drone Intercepted and Eliminated russian Shahed UAV from Behind". Defense Express. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ Litnarovych, Vlad (May 20, 2025). "Ukrainian VR-Piloted Sting Drone Takes Out Shahed UAV in First-Ever Recorded Strike". United24 Media.
- ^ Shumlianskyi, Dmytro (19 May 2025). "First Footage Appears of Ukrainian Interceptor Drone Targeting Shahed". militarnyi.com.
- ^ @YaroslavAzhnyuk (August 1, 2025). "Dozens of Iranian-russian drones have already been intercepted by Ukrainian soldiers using Sting interceptors from the Wild Hornets unit, equipped with Kurbas-640-Alpha thermal cameras" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ "Ukrainian Military Shot Down Several Drones In Danish Skies". Charter 97. 2025-10-04. Retrieved 2025-10-04.
- ^ Epstein, Jake (December 1, 2025). "A Ukrainian drone maker says its interceptor took down a Russian Shahed armed with an air-to-air missile". Business Insider.
- ^ Stretch, Aidan (2026-03-16). "U.S. turns to Ukraine for drone defense expertise in Iran war, but solutions may take time". CBS News.
- ^ Post, Kollen (2026-03-12). "Saudi Arabia prepping 'huge deal' for Ukrainian weapons amid Iranian drone threat". Kyiv Independent.