There were problems during the tests: Ukraine stopped the order of German Helsing drones – mass media

HX-2. Illustrative photo by helsing.ai

Ukraine has suspended additional orders for strike UAVs from Germany-based defense technology startup Helsing due to problems with the drones during front-line testing.

Source: “European Truth” with reference to Bloomberg

Details: The German company’s flagship HX-2 attack drone had problems taking off during tests, according to agency sources.

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In addition, the model, which was supposed to include artificial intelligence components designed for control without a pilot, was missing some of these tools.

It is noted that the November 20 presentation, which was seen by Bloomberg News, was made by a unit subordinate to General Gunther Schneider, who was appointed head of the Armed Forces Department of the German Ministry of Defense in October.

According to the three people, the Helsing drones were affected by interference near the front line, which cut off communication with the human operators. Those setbacks have undermined demand for the drones, which are paid for by the German military, according to the presentation and two people said.

The interlocutors of the agency added that Germany does not plan to place a repeat order until Ukraine shows interest.

In a statement, Helsing said it was unaware of the presentation and rejected many of the findings presented by Bloomberg, including that the HX-2 drones had a high rate of takeoff failures. The company noted that several groups in the Ukrainian armed forces have shown interest in the drone.

“The hit rates during the first flights that have been officially documented are encouraging,” Helsing said, adding that it is still too early to draw conclusions about the drone’s performance on the front line in Ukraine.

At the same time, the company is confident that the HX-2 will have good hit rates on the battlefield, including in electronic warfare conditions.

Prehistory:

• In July 2025, it was reported that the German company Helsing delivered to Ukraine 1,950 HF-1 kamikaze drones equipped with AI, created in cooperation with a Ukrainian manufacturer.
• Note that on January 14, 2025, Ukraine received an aid package from Germany, which, in particular, included 600 HF-1 attack drones.
• In February 2025, Helsing announced that it was producing 6,000 HX-2 attack drones with artificial intelligence for delivery to Ukraine.

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