Direct proof of use
The KVERTUS AD KRAKEN-M is documented in Ukraine's wartime counter-UAV electronic-warfare layer rather than as an offensive strike weapon. KSE Institute's 2026 defense-technology report describes KRAKEN-M as a multi-band combined-defense EW system used to protect positions, vehicles, and local sectors by disrupting UAV control and telemetry channels before drones reach the protected object.
Defense Express separately reported in December 2023 that Kvertus equipment was being developed from front-line requests and tested in combat conditions during the war against Russia. In that report, Kvertus chief executive Yaroslav Filimonov identified Kraken as a universal system powered from mains electricity, portable power stations, or generators, and described its pin and directional antennas as creating a protective dome and longer-range directional effect.
Sources: KSE Institute Defense Technology Market Report, Defense Express Kvertus Wartime Anti-Drone Report
Timeline
Public documentation places KRAKEN-M in the war's rapidly expanding counter-drone and trench-EW context from late 2023 onward. Kvertus's product materials listed KRAKEN-M as a multi-band system against FPV drones and explosive-laden small UAVs, while Defense Express described Kvertus systems as products refined through frequent front-line testing.
On March 19, 2024, Getty Images documented Kvertus presenting the KVERTUS AD KRAKEN-M in Ukraine at a Protect Warrior from Drone event. KSE Institute later used KRAKEN-M as a named example of close-range EW for static or semi-static battlefield protection in its March 2026 report on Ukraine's defense-technology market.
Sources: Kvertus AD KRAKEN-M Product Page, Defense Express Kvertus Wartime Anti-Drone Report, Getty Kvertus Presentation Set, KSE Institute Defense Technology Market Report
Narrative
KRAKEN-M's conflict role is defensive electronic warfare. The official product page describes a multiband system effective against fire-dropping UAVs and FPV drones using standard control frequencies, with directional aerials and a 20 m remote-control cable. Its listed interference channels cover remote-control bands from 420 MHz through 5.9 GHz and satellite-navigation bands including GPS L1, L2/L5, and GLONASS-related frequencies.
The system fits the fixed-shield part of Ukraine's layered counter-UAV response. KSE Institute categorizes close-range and trench EW as systems used around positions, vehicles, and local sectors, normally static or semi-static, and identifies KRAKEN-M as a prime example of a multi-band fixed shield. The record therefore supports Ukrainian fielding for force protection and air-defense-adjacent counter-UAV work, but not a specific named interception, strike, or unit-level engagement.
Sources: Kvertus AD KRAKEN-M Product Page, KSE Institute Defense Technology Market Report
