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Russia’s Jet Drones Are Changing the Air War, Ukraine Racing to Respond
Kyiv Post • • world
Key Points:
- Russia is increasingly deploying jet-powered and missile drones, such as newer Geran and Banderol variants, to overcome Ukrainian air defenses by leveraging their higher speeds, which reduce detection and interception time.
- These jet drones occupy a middle ground between conventional drones and cruise missiles, offering greater speed and potential for mass attacks, though they are more complex and costly to produce due to advanced jet engine requirements.
- Ukraine faces economic challenges in intercepting these faster drones using expensive surface-to-air missiles and is therefore developing cheaper interceptor drones and enhancing existing air defense systems to counter the threat.
- Ukrainian developers have also been advancing their own jet-powered drones like Bars and Palyanytsya for long-range strikes, focusing on balancing speed, range, payload, and cost rather than solely maximizing speed.
- Experts do not foresee jet drones fully replacing conventional Shahed drones or cruise missiles; instead, they are expected to complement existing weapon systems, with both sides adapting their strategies and technologies accordingly.
