“Dronefall” sets an ambitious goal: 50,000 enemy drones shot down
The “Dronefall” project of the Come Back Alive Foundation has set a clear goal — 50,000 Russian drones shot down that Russia regularly uses to attack Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.
This figure is based on the dynamics of aerial attacks and a clearly structured interception system. It involves hundreds of strike UAVs destroyed every month. Therefore, scaling up this work is a logical continuation of the results already achieved.
Initially, “Dronefall” focused on shooting down reconnaissance drones. Later, the units moved on to the systematic interception of strike UAVs, including Shahed drones and their modifications. The most intense phase of the work occurred in the autumn of 2025: crews were able to destroy dozens of aerial targets in a single night.
“When we launched the project in 2024, our goal was 1,000 shoot-downs. Today, more than 100 military units have joined the initiative, and together they have destroyed over 17,000 reconnaissance and strike UAVs. So the new target sounds ambitious — but it is entirely realistic.
In this project, the economics of war are simple: an air defense missile costs millions, while an anti-aircraft FPV drone is many times cheaper. According to our calculations, every hryvnia invested inflicts 20 hryvnias in direct losses on the enemy. That is exactly what we aim for: maximum effectiveness at minimal cost,” explains Taras Tymochko, a consultant to the Foundation and coordinator of the Dronopad project.
“Dronefall” is not only about the drones themselves. The project has built a full-fledged FPV interception system that allows the military to act quickly, with mobility, and at scale.
The foundation of this system is FPV interceptors — modernized high-speed drones adapted to destroy enemy UAVs in the air. They are significantly cheaper than missile-based air defense systems and allow expensive missiles to be preserved for countering ballistic and cruise attacks.
In addition to the interceptors themselves, units receive transport, communications equipment, optics, power sources, and training. FPV interception is complex technological work that requires preparation, coordination, and constant technical support.
The losses inflicted on Russia thanks to “Dronefall’s” FPV interceptions are measured in billions of hryvnias and significantly exceed the cost of the project itself.
50,000 shot-down drones is not a hypothesis but a clearly defined goal backed by the comprehensive and systematic work of military crews, instructors, engineers, volunteers, and donors.
