Ukraine has begun shooting down Russian “Shahed” drones using the French 70-mm Thales mini-rocket, Business Insider reported on October 8.
As noted by the UNIAN Telegram channel, the missile in question is equipped with an FZ123 warhead, which the company showcased at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris in 2024. The Thales rocket has a range of about 3 kilometers and is designed to be launched from a helicopter.
When the charge detonates, thousands of small metal pellets are dispersed within a radius of roughly 12 meters, effectively hitting a drone or even a swarm of them.
A Thales representative in Belgium — where these rockets are also manufactured — confirmed that such weapons have been supplied to Ukraine. According to reports, as many as five thousand of these rockets have already been delivered.
