Russia outpacing Ukraine's air defences with daily use of new jet-powered drones

Throughout August, Russia employed its fresh, jet-powered Geran drones against Ukraine on a daily basis, as per BBC Verify's examination of Ukrainian Air Force records. This marked the initial occurrence of daily assaults by Moscow's upgraded Geran drones, as documented in Ukrainian Air Force data. The escalating utilization of jet-propelled and alternative drone varieties prompted President Volodymyr Zelensky to denounce the unfolding "horror" above Kyiv.

Ukraine's military subsequently informed the BBC that jet-powered drone strikes surged from 350 in June to 1,600 in July and 2,800 in August. During five of the nighttime assaults in August, these drones outnumbered the older, slower models.

Dr Marina Miron, a military technology expert at King's College London, explained that the shift to jet-powered drones is due to their superior speed, rendering them harder for Ukraine to intercept. These turbojet-powered drones can travel faster than 300mph, significantly outpacing the top speed of Kyiv's interceptors. According to Zelensky, these drones were utilized in a wave of attacks that resulted in at least 12 fatalities and 20 injuries on September 1st, with six casualties being railway workers after a depot in Kyiv was hit.

Earlier this year, Ukraine demonstrated relative success in countering Russian drones, intercepting 94% of long-range drones. However, the new Geran drones' speed has sparked a renewed arms race between Kyiv and Moscow. This month, Ukraine's deputy head of military intelligence, Maj Gen Vadym Skibitskyi, called for new interceptor missiles capable of matching the speed of these jet-drones.

Four Ukrainian companies have reportedly commenced testing missiles aimed at neutralizing the Geran models, according to Kyiv officials. The country's new defense minister, Yevhenii Khmara, tasked these companies with producing thousands of units as quickly as possible.

Russia also had a financial incentive to invest in jet-powered drones due to their increased speed and maneuverability, blurring the line between them and more expensive cruise missiles. Analyst John Hardie of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies noted that long-range one-way attack drones are essentially a "poor man's cruise missile."

However, Conflict Armament Research pointed out that jet-drones are not as advanced as cruise missiles, having a shorter attack range, carrying smaller warheads, and being more susceptible to jamming systems.