Alongside Russia’s ballistic weapons and a new type of cruise missile, the jet-powered drones have inflicted significant destruction in and around Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.
The drones have also been used to target warehouses, gas stations, postal facilities and factories, reflecting an expansion in the range of targets being struck during the war.
The jet-powered Shahed drones, known as the Geran-4 and Geran-5, are more difficult to intercept because of their speed and the large numbers in which they are deployed. They are reportedly three times faster than the original Shahed drones that Russia acquired from Iran.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said drone attacks had become constant.
“Drone attacks are constant, with many jet-powered Shaheds,” Zelensky said on Sunday.
He said nearly 1,500 drones of different types had been launched against Ukraine during the previous four days, with more than half believed to be jet-powered.
The use of jet-powered drones has increased rapidly over the past two months. According to Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Zelensky, about 1,500 of the drones were used in July, while more than 2,500 were deployed in August.
Beskrestnov said the drones were being launched against Ukraine almost immediately after leaving production facilities.
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence has alleged that the jet-powered drones contain hundreds of components manufactured by foreign companies, including firms based in the United States, the United Kingdom and China.
Kyiv Under Increasing Pressure
Many of the jet-powered drones have been directed at Kyiv as Russia has intensified attacks on the capital during both daytime and nighttime hours.
On Saturday, the Ukrainian military said Russia launched 224 drones against Ukraine during daylight hours, most of them believed to be jet-powered.
On Sunday, Kyiv experienced eight air raid alerts between midnight and dusk.
Ukrainian officials believe Russia’s objective is to exhaust Ukraine’s air defense systems and weaken civilian morale while expanding attacks against economic infrastructure, including food warehouses, stores and energy facilities.
“The enemy is trying to paralyze economic activity in the capital and major cities, so our approaches and response mechanisms must change,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said.
The intensified daytime attacks are also coming as Ukrainian children prepare to return to school for the new academic year.
Kyiv city authorities warned that classes could be disrupted and urged parents to discuss emergency procedures with their children.
Officials advised families to ensure children know how to respond to air raid alerts, where to seek shelter and what to do if they encounter a dangerous situation while travelling to or from school.
A New Race for Military Technology
For now, Zelensky has acknowledged that combat aircraft remain one of the main tools capable of intercepting the jet-powered drones.
However, Ukraine’s relatively small air force is already under significant pressure, and using expensive fighter jets to destroy relatively low-cost drones is not considered a sustainable solution.
Ukraine is therefore racing to develop new interceptor drones in another phase of the technological competition that has defined the nearly five-year war.
Four companies have reportedly developed interceptor drone technologies capable of countering the new threat. Zelensky said one of the companies had developed the most successful technology.
According to Defense Minister Evgeniy Khmara, field trials have already begun for all four systems.
“The aim is to bring these solutions up to the required level as quickly as possible and scale up production to thousands of units,” Khmara said.
However, Ukrainian officials acknowledge that developing new technology and deploying it on a large scale are two different challenges.
“Offensive capabilities always stay one step ahead of defensive ones,” said Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of the President’s Office.
“We will certainly have to adapt. This will take time.”
One Ukrainian-made interceptor drone, known as the Sting, has reportedly destroyed two jet-powered drones in recent days.
Another Ukrainian company, F-Drones, said it had upgraded its interceptor drone in response to Russia’s new weapons.
“Russia is now deploying jet-powered Shahed drones, so we built LITAVR+. The upgraded interceptor reaches speeds of over 400 kilometers per hour,” the company said.
Countering jet-powered drones has also become a major priority for former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who has travelled to the United States to explore cooperation with defense technology companies and other potential partners.
Fedorov said Ukraine was seeking to develop new technologies urgently needed on the battlefield, including robotics capable of removing soldiers from dangerous frontline areas and low-cost, artificial intelligence-guided missiles.
Russia’s Banderol Missile Threatens Ukraine’s Maritime Corridor
The struggle for technological superiority in the war continues on both sides.
While Ukraine has expanded its capabilities in mid- and long-range strike drones, Russia has developed a relatively low-cost cruise missile known as the Banderol.
The missile is approximately five metres long and is reported to have a maximum speed of between 620 and 650 kilometres per hour.
It reportedly has a range of up to 500 kilometres and carries a warhead weighing around 150 kilograms.
Its range allows it to strike large areas of southern Ukraine when launched from helicopters operating over Crimea.
Dozens of Banderol missiles have reportedly been used against the port city of Odesa in recent weeks, disrupting Ukraine’s grain exports.
Since the beginning of August, Ukraine has exported approximately 1.4 million tonnes of grain and oilseeds, according to Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi.
This represents only around one-third of the country’s potential export capacity.
Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said the Banderol attacks had significantly slowed operations along Ukraine’s maritime corridor in the Black Sea.
Industry sources have also said that continued attacks have increased the cost of insurance for grain shipments.
Analysts believe Russia could eventually expand the missile’s use by launching it from ground-based platforms in addition to drones and helicopters.
Ukraine Warns of Growing Challenges
Mykhailo Fedorov, who was dismissed as defense minister by Zelensky in July and is now working in a private capacity, has warned that Ukraine is gradually losing ground in the war.
During a visit to Washington, Fedorov said the situation was changing from month to month.
However, he warned that Russia’s increasingly intense air strikes, growing missile capabilities and expanding use of advanced drones posed serious challenges to Ukraine.
“Right now, if we don’t respond to these issues, they will smash us,” he warned.
As Russia continues to develop faster drones and new missile systems, Ukraine faces increasing pressure to develop affordable and effective defensive technologies capable of protecting its cities, infrastructure and economy.
