Volodymyr Zelenskyy reports Russia's increased use of jet-powered drones to challenge Ukrainian air defenses
Ukraine is facing a new generation of jet-powered Shahed drones, which are significantly faster and more difficult to intercept than the original propeller-driven models. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia fired approximately 800 jet-powered drones in a four-day period, accounting for more than half of the total 1,500 drones launched during that time. These drones, specifically the Geran-4 and Geran-5 models, fly at speeds of 200 mph to 250 mph, making them harder to catch than the original Shahed drones. Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, noted that the number of jet-powered drones launched in August reached over 2,500, a significant increase from the 1,500 launched in July. To counter these threats, Ukraine is developing new interceptor drones. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that four companies have developed relevant interceptor technology, with one company having the most successful technology. Defense Minister Evgeniy Khmara stated that field trials are underway for these solutions to scale up production to thousands of units. Ukraine is also facing the Banderol, a low-cost jet-powered hybrid weapon that can travel over 300 miles and carry a 114-kg explosive warhead.
Sources
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Kyiv suffers hours of daytime air raids as Russia deploys new jet-powered drones
The Guardian
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Russia surged high-speed jet-powered Shahed attacks by 5 times in a single month, Ukraine's air force said
Business Insider
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New Stage of Russia’s Drone War – Concerns for Ukraine?
Kyiv Post