Ukraine fields Besomar 3210 first reusable interceptor to counter Russian Geran-2 drones.

The war in Ukraine, marked by the intensification of Russian drone attacks, is giving rise to a new generation of aerial weapons designed to counter this threat. At the Iron Demo 2025 exhibition in Lviv, the Ukrainian manufacturer Besomar unveiled the Besomar 3210, an interceptor drone distinctive for both its design and its intended role. Unlike kamikaze drones that are destroyed when striking their target, this model is designed to be reusable. Its main feature is the integration, in its nose, of a 12-gauge shotgun paired with an automated firing system.
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The Besomar 3210 is launched from a ground-based catapult and has an endurance of about 60 minutes (Picture source: EPA)

This development comes in a context where Moscow has increased its reliance on drones. According to figures provided by Kyiv and reported by AFP, more than 6,000 Russian drones were launched against Ukraine in July 2025, a record since the beginning of the invasion. Over the last three months, around 15,700 drones have targeted Ukrainian territory, day and night, as part of a strategy aimed at saturating air defenses. Faced with this escalation, Ukraine is diversifying its interception capabilities, seeking alternatives less costly than Western-supplied missiles, each of which can cost up to 200,000 dollars to fire.

The Besomar 3210 is launched from a ground-based catapult and has an endurance of about 60 minutes. It can maintain a cruising speed of 150 km/h for fifteen minutes and reach up to 200 km/h, allowing it to intercept fast-moving targets. Designed to neutralize Russian attack drones such as the Gerbera and especially the Geran-2, a derivative of the Iranian Shahed-136, the aircraft is equipped with a thermal camera. This enables it to detect and engage targets both day and night. Its firing mechanism relies on a forward-facing sensor: once the target enters the kill zone, the drone automatically triggers its cartridges, subject to pilot approval. This feature compensates for human reaction delays that are often insufficient when engaging fast-moving drones.

At present, the drone carries two cartridges, though its manufacturer states the capacity can be doubled. The firing system is recoil-free, ensuring stability during use. Each cartridge disperses multiple projectiles, making the interception effective at short range, typically up to twenty meters. This configuration improves the probability of hitting maneuvering targets, although the main challenge remains closing the distance and achieving effective positioning.

On the technological side, the Besomar 3210 is fitted with a frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) communication system, which complicates detection and jamming by Russian countermeasures. Ukraine is seeking to counter adversary developments, as some Geran-2 drones have been upgraded with video guidance, electronic warfare protection, and evasive capabilities. Russia, supported by an industrial base strengthened through Chinese components, is expected to produce up to 40,000 Geran-2 drones in 2025.

In response, Ukraine is accelerating the deployment of its own interceptors. According to several media outlets, President Volodymyr Zelensky has set an ambitious target of producing up to 1,000 such systems per day, compared with roughly 170 Geran-2 units manufactured daily by Russia. Multiple Ukrainian companies are pursuing different designs, including quadcopters with six-barrel shotguns, jet-propelled drones with single shotguns, and prototypes equipped with automated firing mechanisms. The Besomar 3210 illustrates this trend, relying on a pragmatic, reusable concept that is less expensive than traditional air defense assets.

Covered by Militarnyi, LCI, and The National, the system has been described as part of a possible shift toward aerial engagements between unmanned systems. Defense intelligence analysts, including those at Janes, have noted that the appearance of interceptor drones could mark the beginning of drone-on-drone combat if attack platforms integrate dedicated countermeasures. By combining a basic but automated weapon, sufficient endurance, and the ability to return for rearming, the Besomar 3210 reflects the continuous adaptation taking place on a battlefield increasingly dominated by drone proliferation.

The introduction of the Besomar 3210 into Ukraine’s arsenal highlights Kyiv’s intent to explore multiple solutions to counter repeated Russian drone strikes. It is not a stand-alone answer but part of a broader strategy that integrates electronic warfare, conventional air defenses, and technological innovation. Its reusability, integrated armament, and detection capabilities make it suited to current operational needs in a conflict where control of the airspace has become a central issue.