Ukraine is increasingly deploying artificial intelligence-powered interceptor drones to counter Russia's frequent attacks using Iranian-designed Shahed drones, according to military technology developers and government officials.

During a recent demonstration at a launch site in central Ukraine, drone manufacturer SkyFall showcased its P1-Sun Long interceptor, an AI-assisted drone designed to detect, track, and destroy Shahed-type unmanned aircraft, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

The demonstration highlighted Ukraine's growing reliance on AI as Russia continues launching waves of Shahed drones against Ukrainian cities, targeting infrastructure and civilian areas.

Ukraine initially relied on heavy machine guns, electronic warfare systems, and missiles to counter the drones. Last year, the military began widely deploying interceptor drones operated by human pilots. More recently, manufacturers have incorporated AI technology to automate portions of the interception process.

SkyFall said its interceptor drones have conducted dozens of AI-assisted strikes against Shahed-type targets since November and have participated in thousands of interceptions overall.

The company said its AI system was trained using more than 10,000 videos of drone interceptions. According to Brave1, a Ukrainian government defense technology hub, dozens of companies are using similar datasets to train AI systems to recognize Shahed drones.

During the demonstration, SkyFall's AI system detected a Shahed replica before the pilot identified it visually. The system marked the target on the operator's display and assisted in tracking it. The pilot remained responsible for authorizing engagement and initiating the final attack.

Ukrainian Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov recently said a company participating in the Brave1 program developed technology capable of automating approximately 95% of the interception process.

The company, defense technology startup MaXon, has developed a system that requires a human operator to select a target and authorize engagement before the AI system independently guides the interceptor, identifies the target and completes the approach.

SkyFall said it is testing systems that could further automate interceptions, potentially allowing interceptor drones to launch automatically after radar systems detect incoming threats.

The company said increased automation could enable a single operator to oversee multiple interception missions simultaneously, helping offset personnel shortages facing Ukraine's military.

Ukraine has rapidly expanded domestic drone production during the war, with hundreds of companies manufacturing aerial, maritime and ground-based unmanned systems.

A SkyFall official, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the company can produce up to 50,000 interceptor drones per month but faces challenges finding and training enough qualified operators.

Beyond air defense, Ukrainian companies are also developing AI-assisted targeting systems for first-person-view drones and unmanned ground vehicles. Some systems can autonomously identify military equipment, while others are being tested for their ability to recognize individual soldiers.

Human rights organizations have raised concerns about the growing use of autonomous weapons systems, warning against allowing algorithms to make life-or-death decisions.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also acknowledged the risks posed by increasingly autonomous weapons.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in September, Zelenskyy warned that AI-enhanced drones could eventually operate independently and become accessible to terrorist groups and criminal organizations.

Despite advances in automation, Ukrainian defense companies and military officials continue to emphasize that human operators remain responsible for authorizing lethal strikes.

The technology has also attracted international interest.

Following U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran earlier this year, Ukrainian companies promoted their low-cost interceptor drones as an alternative to expensive missile-based air defense systems used to counter Shahed attacks.