Kyiv, Ukraine – In a groundbreaking air combat achievement, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has released footage showing an FPV (first-person-view) interceptor drone successfully downing a Russian Orion strike UAV—a high-value reconnaissance and attack drone capable of carrying precision-guided bombs.
The video, shared on Telegram, marks what appears to be the first recorded air-to-air kill by a Ukrainian FPV drone against a Russian Orion—a rare and advanced unmanned system developed with Israeli technology. The SBU’s Special Operations Center “A” carried out the strike as part of a broader two-week campaign targeting Russian armor, artillery, air defenses, electronic warfare systems, and other drones.
A Rare and Significant Kill
The Orion UAV, comparable in role to the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper, is one of Russia’s most capable strike drones, typically used for reconnaissance and precision bombing. Its loss to a low-cost, agile FPV drone highlights Ukraine’s evolving asymmetric warfare tactics against Russia’s more advanced systems.
Defense Express, a Ukrainian military analysis outlet, noted that the footage also includes at least two instances where Ukrainian FPV drones engaged Forpost-R UAVs—another rare Russian-Israeli design seldom seen in combat.
Expanding the Drone War
This successful interception underscores Ukraine’s increasing use of FPV drones not just for ground attacks but now for aerial combat—potentially reshaping battlefield dynamics. As both sides escalate drone warfare, Ukraine’s ability to down high-value Russian UAVs with cheap, adaptable systems could force Moscow to rethink its tactics.
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