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Anti-drone gun approved for Ukraine’s forces: Breakthrough tech or overdue fix?

Lina Mostavlyuk
1 June, 2025 Sunday
12:00

The full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war stands out for its widespread use of drones. UAVs are used for reconnaissance, fire adjustment, direct attacks on Russian forces, and other key combat tasks. As a result, effective countermeasures against Russian drones have become a crucial factor on the front lines, and developers are working fast to respond to service members' constantly evolving needs

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Contents

  1. What is an anti-drone pistol
  2. More details about the anti-drone pistol
  3. Specifications of the anti-drone pistol
  4. Criticism of the anti-drone pistol
  5. What other compact anti-drone tools exist

What is an anti-drone pistol

A compact tool for fighting aerial drones was featured on the website of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense on May 27, 2025. The ministry, citing the Main Directorate for Ensuring the Life Cycle Support of Armaments and Military Equipment, announced the codification and official approval for use of the "anti-drone pistol" in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The name "anti-drone pistol" appears in quotation marks because historically, a pistol refers to an old flintlock weapon — an early long-barreled firearm that fired by striking flint against steel to light a powder charge. But in this case, judging by the photo posted, it’s a specialized blaster-type (non-lethal, non-firearm) device. It’s described as a personal, Ukrainian-made radio-electronic system designed to disrupt aerial drones.

"This is a device for generating electromagnetic interference. It jams the control channels and video feed of enemy drones," the Defense Ministry explained on its website.

The device has passed the required testing and is expected to reach combat units soon.

"The Ukrainian 'anti-drone pistol' is compact, weighs just over 1 kg, and comes in a single-piece design," the Defense Ministry added.

graphic model of the "anti-drone pistol" device, photo: Brave1

Additional information about the anti-drone pistol

A new personal defense tool against enemy FPV drones is now available on the Brave1 Market military platform. Soldiers can get it either by spending points earned through the Diia platform (awarded for destroying enemy infantry and equipment) or by paying 85,000 UAH, according to the portal "Militarnyi."

Some of the device’s specs, which works by jamming the drone’s control signals, are also listed on the marketplace. It reportedly disrupts frequencies in the 700–1000 MHz range with an output power of 50 W. The manufacturer claims the “pistol” can operate for up to one hour nonstop and disable enemy drones from a distance of 100 meters.

“It’s worth noting that the stated jamming frequencies don’t cover the full range used by FPV drones. For example, Russian operators also use lower bands like 290–340 MHz and upper ones like 950–1100 MHz. So, drones operating on those frequencies won’t be affected by the ‘anti-drone pistol’,” the "Militarnyi" article states.

FPV drone, photo: armyinform

Specs of the anti-drone pistol

  • Weight: 1 kg
  • Suppression range: 100 m
  • Continuous operation: 60 min
  • Frequency range: 700–1000 MHz
  • Power: 50 W
  • Price: 85,000 UAH

Criticism of the anti-drone pistol

The new anti-drone tool has sparked skepticism among those with hands-on experience fighting Russian UAVs. Ukrainian Armed Forces officer and volunteer Myroslav Hai shared the Ministry of Defense’s announcement about the device, saying he wants to “leave it for the record.”

“The saddest part is that whoever made this post at the Ministry of Defense is genuinely proud and treats it as some sort of breakthrough — without understanding how modern electronic warfare actually works, its types, specs, or materials. And judging by the blue duct tape on the handle, the price — and the price is life,” Hai wrote.

In the comments under the Ministry of Defense’s social media post, many users pointed out that the invention is already outdated. They argue that Russian forces now rely heavily on fiber-optic drones, which this new "blaster" can’t stop.

fiber optic drone, photo: foreignukraines

“A year and a half ago, this might’ve saved hundreds of infantry lives. But today, shifting frequencies and fiber-optic control make it basically useless,” one commenter wrote.

Lieutenant Stanislav Krasnov, platoon commander of the 1st Battalion of the 95th Separate Air Assault Brigade, also questioned the device’s usefulness.

“This is nonsense. A jammer that blocks video signals needs to be elevated to interfere with the operator’s receiving antenna. FPV drones only send video — there’s no return signal. So there’s no point blasting electronic warfare at them through the video feed. And the receiver won’t even notice the jamming because it's positioned too low,” Krasnov wrote.

What other compact tools are used to fight drones

In March 2025, during basic general military training for new recruits, a net-launching pistol designed to counter FPV drones was tested. The devices were provided by Ukrainian company Ptashka Drones, which specializes in drone technology and anti-drone solutions.

The device fires a 3.5 by 3.5 meter net at targets up to 30 meters away. The net wraps around the drone’s propellers, causing it to crash. In addition, the Defense Forces actively use anti-drone rifles on the front line. These are electronic warfare tools that disable enemy drones and disrupt Russian artillery spotters at ranges of several kilometers. One example is the portable KVS ANTIDRON G-6 rifle, developed by Ukrainian company Kvertus. It weighs 6 kg, runs for up to 30 minutes on a single battery, and has a jamming range of up to 3 km.

Ukraine also receives anti-drone rifles from its allies. Even before the full-scale invasion, Defense Express reported on the Lithuanian-made EDM4S-UA anti-drone rifles.

"I think if every company had these weapons, it would seriously change the situation on the front," one of the operators said at the time.

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