Russian Jet-Powered ‘Shahed’ Drone Reaches Western Ukraine for First Time
A Russian jet-powered “Shahed” drone flew roughly 900 kilometers (nearly 560 miles) from Crimea into western Ukraine on Tuesday, Aug. 18, marking the farthest such strike recorded so far. According to Ukrainian monitoring systems, the flight path was designed to avoid air defenses.
On Tuesday, August 18, a Russian jet-powered "Shahed" drone traversed approximately 900 kilometers (nearly 560 miles) from Crimea into western Ukraine, setting a new record for the farthest such strike recorded to date, according to eRadar monitoring channel. The drone journeyed from Crimea through the Mykolaiv, Vinnytsia, and Khmelnytskyi regions, passing near Kremenets in the Ternopil region before reaching the city of Dubno in the Rivne region.
The drone's flight covered a distance of 850 to 920 kilometers (around 528 to 572 miles), with a straight-line penetration depth of over 720 kilometers (approximately 447 miles) from its launch point. eRadar stated that the drone's route "was calculated in advance to avoid the main deployment areas" of Ukraine's anti-aircraft missile systems, indicating Russia's efforts to find "blind spots" in the air defense network.
Ukrainian authorities reported that an aerial target, likely of the same type, was downed in the southern part of Rivne region after the drone's tracking over multiple regions for about 30 minutes. The drone's jet engine, capable of speeds between 400 to 600 kilometers per hour (249 to 373 miles per hour), significantly reduces the likelihood of interception compared to conventional drones.
Previously, jet-powered drones had an operational range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles), limiting their effectiveness to certain regions. However, Tuesday's flight nearly doubled that range, suggesting Russia has modified their drone models for extended capabilities. This extension implies that "virtually the entire territory of Ukraine – right up to its most remote western borders" now falls within the zone of possible Russian strikes.
According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russia is expanding its drone launch sites, with western Ukraine emerging as a potential future target. Analyst Anton Zemlyanyi of the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation noted that Russia is increasingly relying on faster drones, as the effectiveness of conventional Shaheds in large-scale attacks declines.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
