Wild Hornets, a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) manufacturer, announced on 17/4 that it had achieved a remarkable record: controlling its Sting interceptor drone from 2,000 km away using Hornet Vision Ctrl technology.

"The pilot, located abroad, controlled an interceptor drone operating in northern Ukraine", the announcement stated.

Ukrainian interceptor drone controlled from 2,000 km away in a video posted on 17/4. Video: Wild Hornets.

Wild Hornets revealed that it has widely deployed Hornet Vision Ctrl technology. This system previously helped one Ukrainian serviceman take down two Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from 500 km away. "We will continue to test new capabilities", the manufacturer added.

The accompanying video showed an individual operating a drone via a laptop, which forms part of the ground control station used to fly the drone. Wild Hornets did not specify when this mission took place, its objective, or the country where the pilot was located.

Hornet Vision Ctrl is a remote control system developed by Wild Hornets. It enables operators to fly interceptor drones far from their launch sites. This system includes an upgraded ground control station and communication modules capable of transmitting control signals and video over long distances.

Wild Hornets launched Hornet Vision Ctrl in 3/2026, stating that the technology had undergone "several months of combat testing" and proven effective.

Ukraine's Sting interceptor drone. Photo: Wild Hornets.

This is not the first time long-range drone control technology has been applied in the Ukraine conflict.

In a test announced in 4/2025, an operating team in Moskva, Russia, used the Orbita system to control an Ovod fiber-optic drone in real-time. The drone targeted a stronghold near Chasov Yar in Donetsk province, over 800 km away.

Pham Giang (According to Kyiv Independent, Ukrainska Pravda)