Ukraine war latest: New interceptors for Russian jet-powered drones 'successfully tested,' Zelensky says

Key developments on Sept. 15:

• Ukraine has 'successfully tested' new interceptor against Russian jet-powered drones, Zelensky says
• Russia launches drone attack on Kyiv, killing at least 1, injuring 12
• Russia suffers over 300,000 military losses in Ukraine since start of 2026, General Staff says
• Belarus holds 'defensive' military drills near borders with Poland, Lithuania

Ukraine has "successfully" trialed another interceptor drone designed to target Russian jet-powered Shahed drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sept. 15 following a briefing by Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi.

As Russia expands its arsenal of Shahed-type jet-powered drones, including the Geran-3, Geran-4, and Geran-5, and the cruise missile-like Banderol loitering munition, Ukraine is facing mounting difficulties intercepting the weapons during prolonged attacks, with Kyiv and the surrounding region frequently targeted.

"A 'shahed' was hit successfully, but some aspects of controlling the interceptor still need to be refined. The work continues – it will take some more time," Zelensky wrote on X.

The jet-powered drones can reach speeds of up to 600 kilometers per hour (nearly 370 miles per hour), making them more difficult to intercept than earlier, piston-powered Shahed variants. Their use also increased sharply this summer, rising roughly fivefold in July compared with June, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said Aug. 31.

Russia launched nearly 800 jet-powered drones toward Ukraine over four days in late August, according to Zelensky.

Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara said Aug. 29 that Ukraine had field-tested four potential interceptors against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones, without specifying which companies were developing them or how far along the projects were.

​​Anatolii Hrapchynskyi, deputy director of an electronic warfare company and a reserve Air Force officer, told the Kyiv Independent that the use of jet-powered drones was to be expected as Russian forces had been seeking ways to overwhelm Ukraine's anti-aircraft defenses.

Russia launches drone attack on Kyiv, killing at least 1, injuring 12

Russian forces attacked Kyiv on the morning of Sept. 15, killing one person and injuring at least 12 others, local authorities said.

Kyiv City Military Administration reported at 8:39 a.m. local time that a Russian drone had crashed at a petrol station in the Holosiivskyi district of the capital.

Another gas station in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district was hit at around 6 a.m. local time, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. One person was hospitalized in critical condition and later died in hospital, according to the mayor.

As of 10 a.m. local time, seven people had been injured in the morning attacks on Kyiv, while two of those wounded were hospitalized in serious condition, Klitschko said.

As of 5 p.m. local time, six of the injured remain hospitalized, Klitschko said.

Six of the injured were in Kyiv's Solomianskyi district, where a non-residential building was damaged in the early hours of Sept. 15, Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported.

Russia's attack also damaged the data center of BeMobile, according to Ukraine's National Paralympic Committee, whose website was temporarily unavailable following the morning strike.

The committee said emergency restoration work was underway and that it was awaiting the resumption of services by its partner company, UCloud.

The Kyiv Independent contacted UCloud, which confirmed that its Kyiv data center had been affected by the Russian attack.

The company did not specify the nature or extent of the damage, but said the affected websites were expected to resume operation within "several hours."

According to preliminary reports, there were also strikes on warehouses in the city's Obolonskyi district, Klitschko said.

Russia suffers over 300,000 military losses in Ukraine since start of 2026, General Staff says

Russian forces have lost 301,030 troops killed and wounded since the beginning of 2026, Ukraine's General Staff said on Sept. 15.

The statement comes after the summer campaign on the battlefield in Ukraine ended, with Russian losses exceeding 1.5 million since the start of the full-scale invasion.

The General Staff said nearly 300,000 losses were roughly equivalent to the personnel strength of 150 motorized rifle regiments, based on an estimated 2,000 troops per regiment.

"The enemy's significant losses are the result of effective combat operations by all components of the Ukrainian Defense Forces," the General Staff said.

Since the beginning of 2026, Russian forces have suffered around 30,000 casualties per month in Ukraine.

The largest losses were recorded during the three summer months, when Russia suffered 124,170 military casualties, the General Staff said. In July alone, the figure surged to a record 42,860 — the highest monthly toll since the start of the full-scale war. In August, the monthly figure again topped 40,000.

"Such high Russian casualties are primarily linked to their tactics. They continue to deploy infantry — often in waves — in an attempt to overwhelm our positions with sheer numbers. At the same time, manpower remains one of their primary tools for achieving results," electronic warfare operator 'Strada,' who asked to be identified by callsign only for security reasons, told the Kyiv Independent.

In September, Russia has already lost 20,360 troops as of the morning of Sept. 15, the General Staff said.

Belarus holds 'defensive' military drills near borders with Poland, Lithuania

Belarus is holding military exercises near its borders with Poland and Lithuania from Sept. 15-18, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said on Sept. 15.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry described the drills as "defensive" and said they are aimed at improving the military's ability to "protect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The exercise is focused on preparing troops to conduct a "strategic military operation," including securing the border, countering alleged sabotage and reconnaissance groups, and combating drones and light aircraft.

Exercises are being held at the Gozhsky training ground in Grodno Oblast, around 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the Lithuanian border, as well as at the Brestsky and Ruzhansky training grounds, roughly 15 and 60 kilometers (9 and 37 miles) from the Polish border.

Belarus has a history of tensions with its NATO neighbors, including Poland and Lithuania. Minsk has previously been accused of using hybrid tactics against the two countries, including facilitating the arrival of migrants from the Middle East and Africa to its borders with the EU, which triggered a major migration crisis.

Belarus also allowed Russian forces to use its territory as a staging ground for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The exercises also come amid a buildup of military infrastructure along the Belarus-Ukraine border, leading Kyiv to warn that Moscow may be planning to draw its closest ally deeper into the full-scale war.