Ukraine’s war leadership sets new electronic warfare tasks as Russia’s jet-powered drones slip past nearly half of its air defenses

Ukraine's military leadership is intensifying its electronic warfare efforts as Russia continuously upgrades its jet-powered drones, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff, Zelenskyy announced new tasks for Ukraine's military and manufacturers to develop more effective countermeasures against Russia's advanced aerial drones.

Russia has been progressively modifying its Shahed jet-powered drones, making them increasingly difficult for Ukraine's air defenses to neutralize. In the period between September 1 and September 26, the country's air defenses only managed to down 55 percent of the 2,730 new jet-powered drones, compared to a 90 percent success rate against slower drones.

The rapid evolution of these drones has forced Ukraine's electronic warfare countermeasures to accelerate in response. Recently, presidential adviser Serhii Flash alleged Russian MESH radio repeaters had been installed in Kyiv, weakening the city's electronic defenses. The presence of these repeaters enables control over the drones, posing a continuous threat to both the city's infrastructure and its air defense systems.

Sanctions aimed at curbing Russia's drone supply chain have come into effect, targeting the delivery of critical components and equipment for weapons production. As part of these measures, new sanctions packages are in development, with proposals to be presented to Ukrainian government representatives and the National Security and Defense Council.

Furthermore, the military staff emphasized enhancing the long-range drone capabilities of Ukrainian forces next year, given the necessity to match and counter Russian strikes. With Russia reportedly transitioning to locally built engines for its Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones, Ukraine must remain vigilant to stay abreast of technological advancements in this ongoing technological arms race.