Ukraine aims to produce up to 400 interceptor drones as Russian jet-powered drone use grows, Zelensky says
Ukraine is testing five types of high-speed interceptor drones designed to shoot down the faster Russian weapons, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine plans to manufacture up to 400 interceptor drones by the end of October to defend against Russia's increasing use of jet-powered attack drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in an interview with the Financial Times on October 2. Russia has been ramping up its production of jet-powered drones, particularly the Geran-4 and Geran-5 models, making them harder to intercept.
On September 28, Zelensky reported that only 57% of jet-powered Shahed-type drones are currently being shot down by Ukraine, a number he described as insufficient.
Ukraine is currently testing five high-speed interceptor drone designs, with one expected to reach production levels of around 400 units by October's end while the other four are still under testing. The development process of these interceptors is being hampered by a shortage of engines. Most of these engines are imported, with domestic production lagging behind.
The jet-powered drones are a threat to various civilian targets, including supermarkets, schools, shopping malls, telecommunications infrastructure, data centers, gas stations, and medical facilities. Russian attacks on Kyiv have intensified over the past week, with attacks on key civilian infrastructure. Zelensky revealed that Ukraine cannot utilize all its F-16 fighter jets during Russian attacks due to around half of the aircraft undergoing maintenance and repairs in Europe.
These F-16s, received by Ukraine in the summer of 2024, are employed in both offensive and defensive operations, including intercepting Russian missiles and drones during aerial attacks. The prolonged maintenance periods leave some jets out of service when they are most needed for air defense.
Kyiv is seeking to transfer some F-16 maintenance work to Ukraine to expedite the return of these jets to service. Additionally, Ukraine is facing a budget shortfall that is hindering the development and mass production of crucial defensive weapons.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
