Ukraine Now Neutralizes 55% of Russia’s Jet-Powered Shahed Drones, Zelenskyy Says

Ukraine is currently neutralizing about 55% of the jet-powered Shahed-type drones launched by Russia, with more than 1,500 such UAVs shot down or suppressed since the beginning of September.

According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his evening address on September 26, Russia launched more than 2,730 jet-powered Shahed drones during September. More than 1,500 were intercepted or electronically suppressed, putting Ukraine’s current neutralization rate at approximately 55%.

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War in Ukraine

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Sep 14, 2026 11:13

The rate remains below Ukraine’s interception performance against conventional Shahed-type drones, which Zelenskyy said now exceeds 90%. He said Ukraine aims to bring protection against the newer jet-powered variants to a comparable level.

Ukraine has already developed several effective prototype interceptors designed specifically to counter the faster drones, Zelenskyy said. Some are already being used by Ukrainian units under combat conditions, while several systems have been selected as potential primary tools for defending against the threat.

Ukraine is now working to expand production of those interceptors and the components required to manufacture them at scale, according to the president.

Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian military intelligence had obtained Russian internal documents detailing Moscow’s weapons-production plans for 2027, including planned volumes and financing.

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War in Ukraine

Why Russia’s New Jet-Powered Drones Are Harder to Stop

Sep 21, 2026 16:13

According to the documents cited by Zelenskyy, Russia intends to spend about $12 billion next year on the production of jet-powered drones and loitering munitions alone.

The growing use of jet-powered Shahed variants has added another layer to Russia’s long-range drone campaign against Ukraine. Unlike conventional propeller-driven Shaheds, the newer systems travel at higher speeds, reducing the time available for Ukrainian air defenses to detect and intercept them.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine is developing dedicated countermeasures for the systems identified in Russia’s production plans, with interceptor drones expected to play a larger role in defending Ukrainian airspace as production expands.

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