Work is underway in Ukraine to create new drones aimed at enhancing the protection of the country's energy infrastructure against massive Russian attacks.

This was stated by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, during the “Ukraine – Southeast Europe” summit on June 11 in Odesa.

Ukraine's efforts in drone development

“We have some weapons in development. Certain technologies are already developed, and we are trying to secure more funding for mass production. These include various types of intercepting drones and more,” the President said.

According to him, the need for new defense mechanisms is extremely pressing, as the Russians currently launch over 300 drones a day at Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky also noted that Ukraine is already employing several levels of protection for its energy infrastructure, where traditional air defense systems play a crucial role. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of maintaining confidentiality regarding their locations.

“I will not disclose which systems we have and where they are located, or which energy assets they protect. Once the Russians understand where our air defense systems are, they attack them, so we constantly change the routes of our air defense systems,” the President explained.

“Bars” – a new Ukrainian rocket-drone with a range of up to 800 km

A private company in Ukraine is developing a new rocket-drone called “Bars,” but details are still quite scarce.

According to unconfirmed information, it can hit targets at a distance of 700-800 kilometers with a warhead weighing 50-100 kg.

For comparison, the Shahed-136/Herañ-2 kamikaze drones used by Moscow to attack Ukrainian cities typically have a 50 kg warhead and a claimed flight range of 2,500 km, but have a significantly lower speed, making them easier to intercept.