How A Ukrainian Stork Outflew A Russian Drone, And What This Tells Us

BusinessAerospace & DefenseHow A Ukrainian Stork Outflew A Russian Drone, And What This Tells UsByDavid Hambling,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I'm a South London-based technology journalist, consultant and authorFollow AuthorMay 26, 2026, 10:19am EDTMay 26, 2026, 10:20am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.View from a Russian FPV before a failed intercept of a white stork Russian MoD via TelegramA video on social media shows a Russian interceptor closing in on a white stork – until the bird executes a sharp roll maneuver, leaving the drone chasing empty space (h/t to Andrew Perpetua for spotting this one). Cases where animals win are always heartening, especially when the animal happens to be the Ukraine’s national bird. This incident highlights how drone technology compares to birds as well as where it might be going.Bird Vs Drone Vs Bird Conflicts between birds and drones go way back. One on side, birds of prey in particular have targeted small drones for as long as they have been flying, and many drone operators have stories about bird attacks. Some of these have gone viral on social media, like the drone which was grabbed out of the air before being carried away and dumped on a mountainside at an altitude of 10,000 feet. A Dutch police eagle grabs a quadcopter in a demonstratrion. ANP/AFP via Getty ImagesMORE FOR YOUIn the early days of counter-drone protection, some police forces tried using trained birds to tackle drones. The most celebrated was project in the Netherlands in 2016, but the French military and others also tries trained eagles. However, the Dutch project was dropped after a year for being ineffective as well as hazardous to the birds, and others similarly failed to take off. While birds are vastly more agile and better adapted to aerial combat, they are likely to get injured when encountering an...