Ukraine's New AI-Powered Turret–Is Shooting Down Russia's Fastest Drones

Ukraine's AI-powered Sky Sentinel turret, first detailed by UNITED24 Media in May 2025 during early combat testing, now has more than 12 units on combat duty in Kyiv alone and has expanded its targets to Russian jet-powered drones, including the Geran-5, according to Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat. The system pairs a heavy machine gun such as the 12.7mm M2 Browning with optics, radar data and Ukrainian-developed software that handles tracking and ballistic calculations, at roughly $150,000 per reusable unit versus $100,000–$200,000 for a jet-powered Shahed/Geran drone. A UNITED24 fundraising campaign raised $3.3 million for 22 systems, and the turrets now serve as relatively inexpensive short-range protection around cities and critical infrastructure rather than a replacement for Patriots, fighters or interceptor drones.