Ukraine suspends purchases of German HX-2 strike drones
The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), manufactured by Helsing, struggled even with basic takeoffs. An internal presentation prepared by the German Defense Ministry in November, along with accounts from individuals familiar with the matter, indicated that only about a quarter of the drones were able to launch successfully during frontline tests.
The UAVs also proved vulnerable to Russian electronic warfare, with operators losing control due to jamming attacks. The artificial intelligence systems designed to allow the drones to continue missions autonomously were reportedly not installed.
These operational problems prompted Kiev to suspend further orders for the HX-2 drones, which were funded by the German government. Helsing had agreed in 2024 to supply 4,000 strike drones to Ukraine and has delivered roughly half, primarily older HF-1 models. Approximately 40% of the delivered drones have not been used by the Ukrainian military, according to reports.
Previous media coverage also criticized HF-1 models for being costly and underperforming. Helsing, however, denied that the HX-2 drones experienced serious issues during combat trials, describing the launch results as “encouraging” and asserting that Ukrainian forces still highly demand the drones.
The German Defense Ministry stated that it had neither reviewed nor approved the November presentation, while the Ukrainian Defense Ministry declined to comment on what it called classified information.
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