Attacks by jet-powered drones on Ukraine increased eightfold over the summer — BBC Verify

BBC Verify analysts have recorded a sharp rise in strikes by Russia’s new-generation jet-powered drones against Ukraine: throughout August, Russia carried out such strikes every day.

According to data from the Ukrainian Air Force provided to the BBC, this is the first time the upgraded Geran drones have been used on such a scale.

The number of jet-drone attacks grew from 350 in June to more than 1,000 in July and reached approximately 2,800 in August. The drones are equipped with turbojet engines containing components allegedly supplied from China and can reach speeds exceeding 480 km/h. This is significantly faster than the older Shahed-based variants, which Ukraine has learned to intercept in more than 90% of cases.

According to Dr. Marina Miron, a military technology specialist at King’s College London, Russia’s shift to jet-powered drones is explained by their fundamentally different characteristics.

“The transition to jet-powered drones is driven by their significantly higher speed compared to the previous generation, which makes it considerably harder for the Ukrainian side to intercept them,” she told the BBC.

Ukraine has responded to the new threat by developing high-speed interceptors. On August 29, Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara announced the launch of a testing program for four such systems. According to the Ukrainian outlet Defender Media, around 20 Ukrainian companies are currently developing high-speed drone interceptors. Some of them, including the jet-powered Griffen interceptor, cost around €9,000 per unit — significantly cheaper than conventional surface-to-air missiles.

Ukraine has also unveiled the Alexa Spatium — the first jet-powered interceptor capable of reaching speeds of up to 600 km/h. The British-Ukrainian consortium Firebolt Engineering reported the first confirmed combat interception of a Geran drone in July. Western defense companies have also joined the development of similar systems: American manufacturer X-Bow presented the supersonic Buckler interceptor at the Farnborough International Airshow for less than €86,000 per unit, while European companies Frankenburg and MBDA are developing their own low-cost guided missile systems.

The escalation of drone strikes is occurring as Ukraine prepares for another winter amid a critical shortage of air defense assets, Le Monde reported on September 10. At the latest meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein, participants agreed on emergency measures to build up resources to counter ballistic missiles and high-speed Geran attacks, though the new capabilities will not reach the battlefield soon.

On September 10, a Russian drone struck near a medical facility in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kharkiv. City mayor Ihor Terekhov reported this on Telegram, adding that authorities were establishing the number of casualties. The Kremlin, for its part, reported that on September 8 Presidents Trump and Putin held a telephone conversation lasting approximately one hour, during which Trump specifically noted “the desirability of ending the conflict as soon as possible.”