Russia's Use of Jet-Powered Drones Rises Eightfold in Three Months, Ukraine Says

Russia has sharply increased its use of jet-powered drones for attacks on Ukraine, with the number of such unmanned aerial vehicles deployed rising roughly eightfold over three months, according to Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat, as reported by Ukrinform.

Ihnat said Russian forces used 350 jet-powered drones in June, a figure that climbed to 2,850 by August. The sharp increase points to an intensifying reliance on this category of weapon as part of Russia's ongoing campaign against Ukraine.

Jet-powered drones are generally faster than the propeller-driven attack drones, such as Iranian-designed Shahed-type UAVs, that Russia has used extensively throughout the war, potentially making them more difficult for Ukrainian air defenses to intercept.

Ukraine has relied on a mix of Western-supplied air defense systems, mobile fire teams and other counter-drone measures to intercept incoming attacks, though the scale of Russian drone use has placed continued strain on the country's air defense network.

Ihnat's comments add to a stream of Ukrainian officials' updates on the evolving nature of Russia's aerial attacks. Further details on Russia's broader drone production and deployment plans, and on Ukraine's ability to counter the growing use of jet-powered variants, were not provided in the report.