Putin claims that Ukraine has no ‘antidote’ to Russia’s new jet-powered drones. Kyiv has already shown it can shoot them down, but doing it at scale could cost billions.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has stated that Ukraine possesses no antidote to Russia's new jet-powered drones, according to a recent interview. These drones, also known as small cruise missiles, are nearly impervious to Ukraine's layered defense systems, making them a significant threat. The Russian military introduced the new models to replace older "Geran-2" drones, which had become ineffective due to Ukraine's advanced air defenses.

The new "Geran-3" drones, fitted with a Chinese Telefly JT80 turbojet engine, can reach speeds of 300-350 km/h, compared to the 150-180 km/h of their predecessors. However, they have smaller ranges and payloads. Despite the high cost of producing these drones, Ukraine has the technological capability to build effective defenses.

The main challenge lies in the financial burden, as each interceptor costs under $10,000. Despite this, Ukraine has managed to effectively defend key cities like Kyiv and Odesa from these advanced threats.