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Jet-powered drones outpace Ukrainian defenses as manufacturers race to build new interceptors
Ukrainian makers say the new interceptors are already shooting down targets, but scaling production could take up to six months, officials said.
- Yuriy Ignat, spokesperson for Ukraine's air force, reported on Wednesday that Russia has launched 7,700 turbojet drones into Ukraine so far, with monthly usage surging from 350 in June to 2,850 in August.
- Unlike earlier propeller-driven Shahed models, the newer Geran-5 drones use turbojet engines, making them significantly faster. These designs bear similarities to the Iranian Karrar, which was itself based on the American MQM-107 Streaker.
- Ukraine is currently neutralizing about 55% of these jet-powered drones, down sharply from the 90% interception rate against slower models. A drone strike on a Kyiv high-rise around 8 a.m. Friday killed a 14-year-old, illustrating the threat's severity.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine has tested four types of jet interceptor drones in combat to counter the threat. The military is now working to expand production of these countermeasures at scale.
- Russia plans to spend about $12 billion next year on jet-powered drone production. Documents obtained by Zelenskyy indicate the Kremlin intends to produce enough airframe material for another 28,000 one-way attack drones annually.
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Russia attacked Ukraine with 97 drones per day: air defense forces shot down 78 drones On <p>October 1, Russia attacked Ukraine with 97 attack UAVs, including 66 jets. Air defense forces shot down or smothered 78 drones.</p>
·Kyiv, Ukraine
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Russia's jet-powered drones mark a deadly evolution in Ukraine war
The air war between Russia and Ukraine has evolved constantly since the start of the conflict. The latest example is Russia’s deployment of a new type of long-range, jet-powered drone, which is having a significant effect on Ukraine’s ability to defend its cities against aerial attack. In an interview on September 14, Ukrainian Air Force […]
·Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources80
Leaning Left23Leaning Right11Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left
50% Left
L 50%
C 26%
R 24%
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