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Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeks to develop mass-produced interceptor drones to counter Russian jet-powered Shahed drones

Ukraine is urgently developing interceptor drones to counter the rapid expansion of Russian jet-powered Shahed drones, specifically the Geran-4 and Geran-5 models. These drones are three times faster than the original Shahed drones and are more difficult to intercept, with Ukraine currently achieving a 60 percent interception rate against them. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that 67 companies in Ukraine are currently working on intercepting these drones on a mass scale. While several companies have already demonstrated successful results in field trials, the administration's goal is to scale production to thousands of units. To address this, Ukraine is also utilizing fighter aircraft to protect against the drones, though this is an expensive method. The administration announced that the race to develop these interceptors is a technological leapfrog. Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov warned that if Ukraine does not respond to these challenges, Russia could potentially smash the Ukrainian defense. Additionally, Ukraine is striking Russian refineries and air defenses to disrupt the economy. Russian oil exports from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk fell from 800,000 barrels a day in July to 350,000 barrels a day in August.

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