Zelensky on anti-drone weapons: We are trying to secure more funding for mass production

He made the statement during a press conference in Odesa on Wednesday following the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

“The Russians constantly change the routes and number of their drones. You know that today they are launching over 300 drones per day, and there were instances when they launched about 500 — 483 in a single day. So it is absolutely clear how they are going to act. We have some weaponry still in development, and some systems are already developed. We are working to find more funds to begin mass production. These are different types of interceptor drones etc.,” Zelensky said.

He stressed that energy infrastructure remains a particularly critical target for the enemy.

“As soon as Ukraine no longer has an energy surplus — whether it’s during extreme summer heat or severe winter cold — Russia increases its drone and missile strikes on energy infrastructure. We are talking about electricity, different types of generation, distribution stations, nuclear generation, thermal generation, gas infrastructure, gas storage, and so on. These strikes are happening in large numbers,” Zelensky said.

In March and April 2025, the 412th Nemesis Unmanned Systems Regiment destroyed 60 enemy attack drones of the Shahed and Gerbera types. According to the unit, 24 enemy targets were intercepted in March and 36 in April, using experimental interceptor drones.

Each of these Ukrainian interceptor drones costs around $5,000. For comparison, the approximate cost of a Shahed attack drone is $150,000, while a Gerbera is estimated at $10,000. The cost of a missile typically used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to intercept Russian drones can reach around $1 million. In this context, the Ukrainian-made interceptor drone is a significantly more cost-effective means of countering aerial attacks.