Vluchnyk develops a portable hand-launched interceptor Palka

Ukrainian drone manufacturer Vluchnyk has unveiled a new interceptor called Palka. It operates on the same principle as the Russian Yolka drone – it is launched by hand using a special gun. Defender learned of the development from Vluchnyk representatives at the IRON HALLOWEEN PARTY 2026 event.

The company plans to complete development and move on to combat testing in December. The new interceptor’s expected speed is 280-320 km/h. Its pursuit range is up to 5 km, and the drone will carry a 400 g warhead.

The company is developing the launch gun in-house. In the intended scenario, the operator finds a target on the gun’s monitor, after which the system acquires and locks on to it. The operator then confirms launch, and the drone autonomously strikes the target.

The interceptor is estimated to cost UAH 30,000-40,000, and the gun UAH 5,000-10,000. The first versions of the interceptor will be single-use, but the manufacturer also plans reusable scenarios in future.

A few months ago, Vluchnyk presented another interceptor drone, the Zorelit v5. It is suitable for shooting down Geran-3 and Geran-4 jet-powered drones. The interceptor’s maximum speed is 416 km/h, and its warhead weighs 400 g.