Russia Deploys New Jet-Powered Drones Daily Against Ukraine Throughout August
Russia began firing its new jet-powered drones against Ukraine every day throughout August. These upgraded Geran drones are significantly faster than previous models, cruising at more than 300 mph.
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This increased speed makes it more difficult for Ukraine to intercept the munitions, which are powered by turbojet engines and some of which are sourced from China. Ukraine's military reported that jet-powered drone attacks grew from 350 in June to 2,800 in August. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the unfolding situation as a "horror" over the skies of Kyiv. On September 1, at least 12 people were killed and 20 more were injured during a wave of attacks involving these drones. To counter these new munitions, Ukraine's defense minister, Yevhenii Khmara, has tasked four companies with producing thousands of units of new interceptor missiles capable of matching the speed of the jet-drones. Russia is also redesigning facilities, such as the new base at Tsymbulova in the Oryol region, to host these jet-powered drones.