A Ukrainian Air Force spokesman said the automated systems had brought down new jet-powered drones near Kyiv. Details of their operation have not been independently verified.
Ukraine has begun intercepting Russian jet-powered drones with heavy machine guns mounted on turrets that use computer vision and artificial intelligence, Ukrainian officials said. Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat announced the interceptions on Oct. 5.
Ihnat said the systems were being installed on bridges and had already downed new jet-powered drones near Kyiv. Presidential technology adviser Serhii Beskrestnov separately wrote on Telegram that 12 turrets had been deployed in the capital and that deployment would continue. Those figures and claims come from Ukrainian officials.
Franceinfo reported that the main change lies in detecting and tracking a target: software analyzes visual input and helps produce a firing solution quickly. Defense journalist Eric Biegala, quoted by Franceinfo, described the systems as potentially suited to protecting fixed sites. The report does not establish that every decision to fire is made without human involvement.
Ukraine has faced drones that fly faster and at higher altitudes, making them harder for mobile air-defense teams to engage. Automated gun turrets could add another layer of protection around infrastructure, but their effectiveness and scale of use are currently known mainly through Ukrainian statements.
Artificial intelligence and automation are being used more broadly in Ukrainian military systems, including data analysis and drone operations. The specific capabilities of these turrets, the number of successful interceptions and the rules for human oversight have not been independently established.