Ukraine is now fielding anti-drone bullets for NATO rifles, offering front-line troops a rapid-response tool against Russia’s increasing use of small UAVs, such as FPV and munition-dropping drones.

Ukraine introduces new bullets to fight drones with existing rifles

Brave1, Ukraine’s government-backed defense innovation grant program, published a video on 30 June showing the bullets at live-fire tests.

According to Forbes, the new rounds, fired from standard 5.56 mm NATO rifles such as the M4 and CZ Bren, fragment midair after discharge, scattering into five high-speed pellets. This shotgun-like spread enables troops to hit small drones at distances of up to 50-60 meters.

Militarnyi, a Ukrainian military outlet, reported that the bullets are already in limited operational use.

“Horoshok (an informal name for the new bullet meaning ‘pea’, – Ed.) is now in production and has been officially codified by the Ministry of Defense. With any luck, it will soon be standard issue for Ukraine’s Armed Forces, available alongside conventional ammunition,” Militarnyi wrote last week. 

The Defense Ministry has approved the design, and Brave1’s post suggests that large-scale production may follow.

“The manufacturer has already codified this development (i.e., it has been codified by the Defense Ministry, – Ed.). Our shared goal is for every infantryman to have a magazine of these rounds and be able to load them into their rifle in the event of an aerial threat,” Brave1 reported.

When a drone is detected, the soldier can swap magazines without switching weapons, saving critical seconds and avoiding the burden of carrying a separate anti-drone system, Forbes notes.

A kinetic solution to counter evolving drone threats

Ukrainian electronic warfare and air-defense systems remain active but cannot fully cover the extended front. Russia is also using UAVs designed to evade Ukrainian jamming capabilities, including short-lived but highly effective drones.

By using kinetic means instead of relying solely on jamming, these bullets may disrupt the ongoing arms race between drones and electronic warfare. Forbes highlights that Russian adaptations — like fiber-optic tethered drones immune to jamming — are pushing Ukraine to adopt direct-fire solutions.