-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
Russia is expected to transition its Shahed drone fleet to jet engines in the near future, dramatically increasing their speed and reducing Ukraine’s interception window, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said in comments published on July 28.
“Technology development is like blitz chess—everything changes very quickly, and new decisions must be made constantly,” Fedorov stated according to RBC-Ukraine. “Russia will inevitably move to jet-powered drones, and we must already begin working on solutions to counter this.”
Fedorov’s remarks point to a strategic evolution in Russia’s drone capabilities. While the current Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 models use propeller-based engines and are relatively slow, a shift to jet propulsion would allow for much faster attack speeds, complicating detection and interception by Ukrainian air defenses and electronic warfare systems.
Ukrainian defense analysts note that adapting Shaheds with jet engines would also likely extend their range and payload capacity, enabling more precise strikes deep into Ukrainian territory. The prospect has accelerated calls for faster development of next-generation interception systems.
Fedorov emphasized the importance of staying ahead in the technological race, warning that adaptation must occur before the threat fully materializes. “We must address this now—not when the problem is already flying overhead,” he said.
Since their first use by Russian forces in 2022, Iranian-made Shaheds have been employed primarily for suicide attacks on infrastructure targets. Ukraine has downed thousands of such drones, often recovering valuable technical data from relatively intact wreckage to support countermeasure development.
Earlier, it was reported that Russia may have deployed a jet-powered variant of its Shahed-series drones—designated as Geran‑3 or Shahed‑238—in attacks on Kyiv.
Recovered avionics panels resembling the Shahed‑136 demonstrated potential speeds of 550–600 km/h, propelled by Tolou‑10/Tolou‑13 turbojet engines.
