Ukraine is building its own high-tech “anti-drone dome”, combining laser air defense systems and low-cost interceptor drones to counter mass attacks by Russian Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Engineers have unveiled a laser-based air defense system called Sunray, designed to destroy drones with a focused energy beam. The project reportedly took around two years to develop and cost significantly less than comparable systems abroad, The Caspian Post reports via foreign media.

Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force Pavlo Yelizarov said the price gap reflects wartime urgency.

“Many American companies are driven by money. For them, it’s a job. They do it and get paid. For us, survival is the driving factor. That’s why we move faster,” he explained.

Alongside the laser system, Ukrainian manufacturers have developed a 3D-printed interceptor drone known as P1-Sun, which has already entered mass production. Reports indicate that these drones have been used to destroy more than 1,000 aerial targets, including over 700 Shahed drones.

By the end of 2026, Ukraine’s Armed Forces plan to deploy the interceptor drones nationwide, enabling rapid launches as soon as radar systems detect incoming Russian UAVs.

In addition to laser defenses and interceptor drones, the emerging “anti-drone dome” could also incorporate carbon-fiber decoys replicating Russian missiles and wheeled robotic systems equipped with machine-gun turrets - forming a layered defense network aimed at neutralizing large-scale drone swarms.