The Wild Hornets STING is a Ukrainian FPV interceptor drone built to attack Shahed-type one-way attack UAVs, Gerbera loitering munitions, Lancet drones, and other small aerial targets. Wild Hornets lists it with a 280 km/h maximum speed, a 7,000 m maximum altitude, ELRS radio control, analog or digital video links, and a 500 g payload; 2025-2026 reporting documents Ukrainian units using STING against Russian one-way attack drones in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
Ukrainian Wild Hornets STING drones have been fielded against Russian Shahed-type and Gerbera one-way attack UAVs; reporting has documented released intercept footage, remote-control engagements by the Bulava unit from about 500 km away, Wild Hornets' claim that STING downed more than 3,000 enemy drones in May 2026, and manufacturer-reported video confirmation of about 50 jet-powered Shahed downings.
Role detailsSTING is a named Ukrainian interceptor in the broader wartime shift from general-purpose FPV drones toward purpose-built counter-UAV aircraft. The public data separates three useful reader-facing layers: its FPV control method, its high-speed pursuit role, and its Shahed-specific battlefield target set.
| Layer | Documented detail | Source-backed takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Flight profile | Wild Hornets lists 280 km/h maximum speed, 30 m/s climb rate, and a 7,000 m maximum altitude. | The design is optimized for short, fast pursuit rather than long-endurance reconnaissance. |
| Control link | The official specification lists ELRS radio control and analog or digital video transmission with daytime and thermal camera options; Defender Media reported HORNET VISION Ctrl remote operation for existing STING interceptors. | Operators fly the interceptor as an FPV system, with camera fit varying by mission, lighting, and control architecture. |
| Target set | Wild Hornets and Ukrainian reporting describe STING as a counter-Shahed interceptor, with released footage and later reports of engagements against    | The sourced conflict role is counter-UAV air defense inside the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War. |
Public reporting distinguishes the standard STING now in Ukrainian service from a faster Sting 2.0 upgrade under combat testing for jet-powered Shahed threats.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sting 2.0 | Faster interceptor upgrade | Defender Media reported that Wild Hornets began work on Sting 2.0 in early 2026, that it was in combat testing by July 2026, and that the upgrade is intended to counter faster jet-powered Shaheds with higher speed and automatic target detection. Sources: Defender Media Sting 2.0 report, Defender Media jet-powered Shahed interceptor report |
Kyiv Post reported Wild Hornets' disclosure of the STING FPV interceptor as a Ukrainian drone designed specifically to attack larger Shahed-type one-way attack UAVs.
Sources: Kyiv Post Wild Hornets STING report
UNITED24 Media reported that Wild Hornets released video of a STING drone engaging a Shahed-type UAV at altitude.
Sources: UNITED24 Media STING Shahed intercept report
Wild Hornets published a STING product page with technical data, mission description, performance figures, and control-link details.
Sources: Wild Hornets STING interceptor
Wikimedia Commons hosts CC BY 4.0 STING imagery attributed to the Ukrainian General Staff and sourced from official Ukrainian military channels.
Sources: Commons STING prepared for launch image, Commons STING launch image
Wild Hornets' official STING page embedded a YouTube demonstration video showing the interceptor concept and Shahed-specific mission framing.
Sources: Wild Hornets STING interceptor
Defender Media reported that STING interceptors had been equipped with the HORNET VISION Ctrl remote-control system, with testing underway in several Ukrainian air-defense units and serial production planned.
Sources: Defender Media Hornet Vision Ctrl report
Ukrainska Pravda reported that Bulava unit pilots controlled STING interceptors from about 500 km away and destroyed two Russian Shahed-type UAVs through the Hornet Vision remote system.
Sources: Ukrainska Pravda 500 km STING intercept report
Censor.NET reported that Wild Hornets donated 1,000 STING interceptors to Ukrainian Defense Forces combat units and that the drones had helped shoot down nearly 70 of 80 Shaheds near Kyiv during the 24 May Russian attack.
Sources: Censor.NET STING interceptor donation report
Ukrainska Pravda and Mezha reported Wild Hornets' claim that STING interceptors shot down more than 3,000 Russian Shahed and Gerbera drones during May 2026.
Sources: Ukrainska Pravda STING May 2026 intercept total, Mezha STING May 2026 intercept total
Business Insider reported Wild Hornets' account that STING design shifted toward altitude, range, payload, and operator usability instead of maximum speed alone.
Sources: Business Insider STING design report
Defender Media reported that Wild Hornets was combat-testing Sting 2.0, a faster upgrade planned with automatic target detection for countering jet-powered Shahed variants.
Sources: Defender Media jet-powered Shahed interceptor report, Defender Media Sting 2.0 report
Late-2025 and 2026 reporting moved STING from a disclosed interceptor concept into a documented Ukrainian counter-UAV layer. The strongest public claims are still attributed to Wild Hornets or Ukrainian media reporting, so the entry treats them as reported operational context rather than independently audited totals.
| Area | Reported detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Remote control | Censor.NET reported more than 100 Hornet Vision Ctrl systems on combat duty after a 160-system Air Force handover; Ukrainska Pravda earlier reported Bulava pilots remotely controlled STING interceptors from about 500 km away during two Shahed intercepts. | This separates interceptor launch location from pilot location and shows how control infrastructure became part of the weapon's battlefield use. |
| Fielding scale | Censor.NET reported a Wild Hornets donation of 1,000 STING interceptors to Ukrainian Defense Forces combat units and more than 100 Ukrainian units using Wild Hornets drones. | The reporting frames STING as a mass short-range air-defense consumable rather than a small number of boutique aircraft. |
| Upgrade path | Defender Media reported Sting 2.0 combat testing, a higher-speed design for jet-powered Shaheds with automatic target detection planned and later terminal guidance under development. | The operational problem is shifting from piston-engine Shahed pursuit toward faster jet-powered targets while preserving operator control and range. |
