Russia unleashes large-scale attack with jet-powered drones as Kyiv faces at least 9 air raid alerts in a single day

Russia attacked Ukraine with 76 jet-powered Shahed-type drones on Aug. 18 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. local time, the Ukrainian Air Force said.

The attack came as Russian forces continue to expand their use of upgraded long-range drones of Iranian design, which Russia manufactures domestically under the names Geran-3, Geran-4 and Geran-5.

Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 70 of the drones throughout the day, while several others evaded the defenses and struck sites on the ground. Debris from downed drones was also reported at several locations, the Air Force said, without specifying where or how many drones reached their targets.

Nine air raid alerts were issued in Kyiv by 6 p.m. local time, in response to Russian drone launches targeting Ukraine, including toward the capital and Kyiv Oblast.

At around 7:45 p.m. local time, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said debris from Russian drones had been reported at two locations in the Dniprovskyi district. Klitschko said there were no fires at the affected sites. He did not specify whether anyone was injured in the attack.

As of 6:30 p.m. local time, more than 20 jet-powered drones remained in Ukrainian airspace, according to the Air Force.

After Russia received its first shipments of Shahed drones from ally Iran at the start of the full-scale invasion, the Kremlin has significantly modified the weapons, making them more difficult for Ukrainian air defenses to intercept.

Yurii Ihnat, head of the Air Force communications department, told the Kyiv Independent on Aug. 17 that Russia launched five times as many jet-powered drones in July as it did in June, and their use continues to increase.

"Sometimes, two-thirds of all drones launched during the day are jet-powered," Ihnat said.

"The flight parameters (of jet-powered drones) are already becoming closer to those of cruise missiles — in terms of speed and altitude," he added.

The latest Geran-5 variant can reportedly reach speeds of up to 600 kilometers per hour (over 370 mph), travel as far as 950 kilometers (590 miles) and carry a warhead weighing up to 90 kilograms.

Its high speed and ability to fly at altitudes of up to 6,000 meters make the drone harder to intercept with mobile fire teams, interceptor drones or man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), often requiring fighter jets or short- and medium-range surface-to-air missile systems to bring it down.

Russia has also established 10 bases with new launch pads for jet-powered drones along its borders with Ukraine and Belarus, potentially putting NATO countries within range, The Telegraph reported in an investigation published on Aug. 16.

According to the investigation, the bases are being built to launch Russia's next-generation long-range strike drones, including variants designated Geran-4 and Geran-5.