Hooked mid-air: Ukrainian paratroopers snare Russian 'suicide drones' with improvised interceptor and fishing rod
Ukrainian paratroopers have released footage showing an improvised but effective new way of taking down Russian drones, by quite literally hooking them out of the sky.
Listen to this article
The video, published by the 46th Separate Airmobile Podolsk Brigade, shows Ukrainian UAVs intercepting at least two Russian drones, a fixed-wing aircraft and a quadcopter, using what the unit describes as a “fishing rod” mounted to its own drone.
FPV footage shows a rod fixed to the interceptor drone, with a length of cord hanging beneath it. The line appears closer to paracord than standard fishing line.
The Ukrainian drone manoeuvres above the Russian UAV, allowing the cord to entangle the target mid-air, likely forcing it to crash.
“We would like to separately note the new capture of enemy drones in the air and the destruction of enemy armoured vehicles,” the brigade said in a statement accompanying the footage.
Read more: UK pledges to spend £200m on preparing British troops for deployment in Ukraine
The interception clip forms part of a longer video sequence showing FPV drone strikes against Russian troops and equipment, including all-terrain vehicles and fighters attempting to conceal themselves in snow-covered terrain.
As LBC has reported before drones have become ubiquitous on the battlefield, both Ukraine and Russia have accelerated efforts to counter the growing aerial threat.
Early in the war, both sides relied heavily on electronic warfare systems to jam drones or disrupt their communications. However, the introduction of fibre-optic-guided drones, which are largely immune to jamming, alongside improvements in electronic countermeasures, has driven a shift towards physical interception methods.
At the tactical level, interceptor drones generally fall into two categories: disposable and reusable. Disposable systems typically destroy the target through direct collision, often detonating on impact. Reusable interceptors, by contrast, are designed to neutralise threats without self-destruction, usually by striking from a distance.
Several Ukrainian manufacturers have been developing such systems. The company 3DTech has unveiled an interceptor drone fitted with a suspended six-barrel unit beneath a standard FPV quadcopter. Besomar has taken a similar approach, developing a reusable interceptor equipped with a shotgun and automated firing system.
Meanwhile, the Odesa-based firm Technari has been testing a jet-powered, aircraft-type drone that also uses a shotgun to destroy enemy UAVs.
In November 2025, Kyiv and London agreed to begin licensed production of the OCTOPUS interceptor drone at British industrial facilities, with output estimated at up to 2,000 units per month. The system is expected to be used against larger, strategic-level drones, including Iranian-designed Shahed models.