Russia Used Five Times More Jet-Powered Drones In July Than In June — Ihnat

Russian forces have significantly ramped up the use of jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in July, launching five times more of these advanced drones compared to the previous month, according to Yurii Ihnat, head of the communications department of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ihnat reported that this surge in jet-powered drones began in July, coinciding with the emergence of new types such as Banderol, which boasts flight parameters nearing those of a cruise missile.

The UAVs are capable of flying at speeds around 600 km/h, making them particularly challenging to intercept with traditional anti-aircraft measures. The increase in usage can be attributed to the enemy's realization of their heightened difficulty in being shot down, requiring the deployment of short-range anti-aircraft missiles, aviation systems, platforms, and fighter jets equipped with air-to-air missiles.

Ihnat anticipates that the enemy's utilization of these jet-powered drones will continue to rise in August, as the enemy has established mass production capabilities and drones are being deployed straight from the assembly line. As previously reported, Ukrainian air defenses successfully neutralized 96 out of the 121 drones launched by Russian forces during the attacks beginning on the evening of August 30.