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Russia’s Jet-Powered Drones Now Make Up 40% of Attacks on Ukraine—But Could Rise to 80%
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Russia is increasingly using jet-powered drones in attacks against Ukraine, RBC-Ukraine reported, citing Deputy Air Force Commander Yurii Cherevashenko. Such systems now account for approximately 40% of all UAVs deployed in strikes, with their share potentially rising to around 80% in the future.
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Speaking during a meeting of a temporary investigative commission, Cherevashenko said Russia had stepped up its use of jet-powered drones beginning in July. On some operational directions, such UAVs already account for up to 60% of Russian drone strikes.
“And the figure continues to grow. We predict that around 80% of drones used in strikes will be jet-powered,” Cherevashenko said.
According to the Air Force official, the share of jet-powered drones in Russian attacks is expected to continue rising and could eventually reach approximately 80%.
As Russia expands its use of jet-powered drones, Ukraine is developing new systems to counter them. Several types of small anti-aircraft missiles are being prepared for operational deployment, with the first results expected in the second half of October.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the development during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Kyiv on October 4. He said the new interceptors had not yet been used operationally but were expected to be deployed later this month.
“There are several types of them. We will obviously see the results this month. Toward the end, in the second half of this month, we expect to see the results. You asked about their use and how widespread it is. So far, there has been no such use. It is yet to happen,” Zelenskyy said in response to a journalist’s question.
Ukraine is also working on five high-speed interceptor drone models intended to counter jet-powered attack UAVs. Zelenskyy said that one of the five models had advanced far enough for production to potentially reach around 400 units by the end of October.
The remaining four interceptor models are still undergoing testing.
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-13f6cc2abf0d398b26e476746a3650f4.jpg "Maj. Alexei Karavaev, commander of Russia’s 11th Tank Regiment killed by Ukrainian artillery in October 2026.")
