Ukraine tests interceptors to down Russian jet-powered Shaheds

Ukraine has tested four potential interceptors against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones, as Moscow steps up attacks on Ukraine, new Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara told reporters in Kyiv on Aug. 29.

As Russia scales up production of its jet-powered drones — the Geran-4 and Geran-5 — Ukraine is struggling to shoot them down amid prolonged waves of attacks.

Moscow is increasingly using jet-powered drones, which can travel up to 600 kilometers per hour, more than three times faster than piston-powered Shaheds.

While four interceptors have been field tested so far, Ukraine continues to search for effective defense against the drones, Khmara said.

"The task is to bring these solutions to the required level as quickly as possible and scale up production to thousands of units," Khmara said.

According to Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia launched 2,500 jet-powered drones so far in August, up from 1,500 last month.

The drones are launched at Ukraine directly from the factory, he wrote on Facebook.

Russia has also switched tactics in the last week, launching drones, including jet-powered drones, steadily throughout the day rather than overnight mass attacks, particularly against Kyiv.

Bracing for a new wartime reality, the government is trying to find solutions that will allow people to live more easily under prolonged air raid alerts, including keeping public transportation and businesses operating, some of which shut down during alerts, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi wrote on Aug. 29.

"The enemy is trying to paralyze economic activity in the capital and major cities, so our approaches and response mechanisms must change," Koretskyi wrote.

"Prolonged air raid alerts not only affect the safety of people but also impact the work of businesses, logistics, transportation, schools, kindergartens, and other aspects of life."