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Russia Turns to Harder-to-Intercept Jet Drones as Use Against Ukraine Jumps Fivefold
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Russian forces significantly increased their use of jet-powered drones against Ukraine in July, launching five times as many as in June, according to Yurii Ihnat, head of communications for Ukraine’s Air Force Command.
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Speaking on Ukrainian television on August 31, Ihnat said July marked a sharp increase in the deployment of jet-powered UAVs, alongside growing Russian use of the Banderoľ system.
“In July, five times more jet-powered UAVs were used than in June. That was the month when the use of these drones, as well as Banderoľ systems, increased significantly,” Ihnat said.
The Banderoľ has been variously classified as a loitering munition, missile, or drone, Ihnat noted. Its flight characteristics are approaching those of a cruise missile, with the system capable of traveling at approximately 600 kilometers per hour.
According to Ihnat, Russia has increasingly turned to jet-powered drones after recognizing that they are considerably more difficult for Ukrainian forces to intercept using conventional air defense methods.
Countering the faster UAVs requires short-range surface-to-air missile systems as well as aviation platforms, including fighter aircraft equipped with air-to-air missiles, he said.
The increased deployment is being supported by Russia’s expanding production capacity. Ihnat said Moscow has established mass production of jet-powered drones, allowing the systems to be deployed almost immediately after leaving production lines.
The scale of their deployment has continued to grow. Over a recent four-day period, Russia launched nearly 1,500 drones of various types against Ukraine, including approximately 800 jet-powered UAVs, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on August 30.
According to Zelenskyy, the sustained waves of drone attacks are part of a Russian strategy aimed at exhausting Ukraine and its population.
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