Ukraine downs first Iranian Shahed-107 drone with high-speed Sting interceptor.

On January 24, 2026, Ukraine confirmed the first recorded interception of an Iranian-made Shahed-107 loitering munition by a Ukrainian Sting interceptor drone during an extended air defense operation.

On January 24, 2026, Wild Hornets confirmed the first recorded interception of an Iranian-made Shahed-107 loitering munition by a Ukrainian Sting interceptor drone during a six-hour air defense operation conducted by the Sky Wars unit of the 47th Mechanized Brigade Magura. The interception provides additional confirmation of the Sting’s operational success against long-range attack UAVs of Iranian origin employed by Russian forces in Ukraine.
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Russia uses the Shahed-107 primarily to strike targets 100 to 300 kilometers behind the Ukrainian front line, making it suitable for attacks on logistics hubs, fuel depots, command posts, air defense systems, and infrastructure nodes that are costly to defend continuously. (Picture source: Wild Hornets and Iranian MoD)

The Sting is a Ukrainian quadcopter drone designed specifically to intercept and destroy incoming Shahed drones and similar UAVs, through physical impact or proximity detonation. It entered operational use in 2024 and has been employed continuously through 2025 and early 2026 by dedicated drone-hunting teams, using FPV control with thermal imaging for night and low-visibility operations. Multiple tests and demonstrations have shown sustained flight speeds around 300 to 315 km/h, with some claims placing the upper limit closer to 350 km/h in short bursts, allowing it to pursue and engage propeller-driven attack drones and even faster jet-powered variants within altitudes of up to about 3,000 meters. Designed for rapid deployment from mobile positions, the Sting can be recovered if no engagement occurs and redeployed quickly, for an estimated cost of about $2,000 to $2,500 per interceptor.

First employed against Ukraine in 2025, the Shahed-107 is a high-wing unmanned aerial vehicle with an X-shaped tail assembly intended to stabilize flight over extended distances, and its wingspan is estimated as approximately three meters. Examination of recovered components revealed a fuselage constructed from carbon fiber combined with aluminum structural elements, a configuration aimed at reducing weight while maintaining sufficient structural strength. In the examined sample, a cumulative high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing 15 kg was identified, a payload assessed as suitable for engaging fortified positions and critical infrastructure rather than exclusively soft targets.

Propulsion is provided by a Chinese-made DLE 111 two-stroke gasoline engine paired with a fuel tank holding 28 liters, resulting in an operational range stated as about 300 kilometers for the configuration assessed by Ukrainian specialists. Comparable small gasoline engines have been identified across several other unmanned systems used by Russian forces, including the Gerbera, BM-35, Parodiya, and Delta drones, indicating a shared component supply pattern. The navigation chain combines inertial navigation with satellite guidance, supported by a four-element antenna intended to reduce the effectiveness of some electronic countermeasures rather than fully negate them.

Chronologically, the Shahed-107 was first publicly revealed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in June 2025 during a period of heightened confrontation between Iran and Israel. Following this unveiling, the drone soon appeared in Russian service and was subsequently employed against Ukrainian territory, situating it within the broader framework of Iran-Russia cooperation in unmanned strike capabilities. Additional available information links earlier mentions of the Shahed-107 to January 2024, including references to potential transfers valued at over $2 million and adaptations intended to seek out high-value targets such as Western-origin multiple launch rocket systems used by Ukrainian forces.

Alongside the three-meter wingspan and 300-kilometer range configuration, other pieces of information about the Shahed-107 include claims of ranges reaching up to 1,500 kilometers, fuselage lengths of about 2.5 meters, and visual features such as rectangular wings with control surfaces and a pitot-tube-like airspeed sensor. Separate characterizations reference a smaller fixed-wing loitering munition measuring about 1.6 meters in length with a 2.5-meter wingspan, an 8 to 9 kg warhead, a cruise speed of about 120 km/h, operational altitude up to 3,000 meters, and launch methods ranging from catapult systems to rail or assisted runway takeoff using detachable gear.

Operationally, the interception of the Shahed-107 is part of an increasing combat record for the Sting interceptor. By late 2025, Wild Hornets and Ukrainian military units reported that Sting interceptors had destroyed well over 1,000 hostile UAVs, including Shahed/Geran variants and decoy drones. In December 2025, the Sting was also credited with intercepting a jet-powered Geran-3, which is based on the Iranian Shahed-238, demonstrating that the interceptor can engage faster, more challenging targets than earlier propeller-driven drones. Within Ukraine’s broader interceptor drone program, this interceptor now represents one of the most mature and widely fielded drones, forming a practical template for how low-cost aerial interceptors are being integrated into modern air defense architectures.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.