Russia’s Jet Drones Could Reach 900 Km/h, Air Force Warns

Russia could eventually increase the speed of its jet-powered attack drones to 800-900 kilometers per hour (500-560 mph), posing a growing challenge to Ukraine’s air defenses, a senior Air Force official has warned.Deputy Air Force Commander Col. Yurii Cherevashenko made the assessment during a meeting of the Ukrainian parliament’s Temporary Investigative Commission on Tuesday, Oct. 6, according to Suspilne.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.Current Russian jet-powered drones are said too fly at around 600 kilometers per hour (370 mph).“We have not seen such [speeds] yet, but we forecast them,” Cherevashenko said, referring to the projected 800-900-kilometer-per-hour range.Jet drones could make up 80% of attacksCherevashenko said Russia had rapidly increased its use of jet-powered attack drones since July.They currently account for around 40% of the drones used against Ukraine, while on some operational axes their share has reached 60%, he said.“We forecast that around 80% of the drones used in strikes will be jet-powered,” Cherevashenko added.Ukraine previously recorded an eightfold increase in Russian jet-drone launches between June and August. The faster aircraft are more difficult for mobile fire groups and conventional propeller-driven interceptor drones to pursue.Jet-powered drones can also reach their targets more quickly, reducing the time available for Ukrainian air defenses and civilians to respond to warnings.Ukrainian companies race to build faster interceptorsThe Air Force is currently working with around 20 Ukrainian companies developing high-speed interceptor drones. Other Topics of Interest Freeze or Liberation? How Ukrainians Expect the War to End A majority still foresee some deoccupation, while 79% believe Ukraine will ultimately win and 62% are ready to endure as long as necessary. According to Cherevashenko, 14 companies have begun test flights, six have achieved results in destroying jet-powered drones, and three have produced systems the Air Force considers particularly promising.Two models have already passed military codification, including an interceptor called Predator, or “Khyzhak” in Ukrainian.Existing interceptor models reach around 460-500 kilometers per hour (285-310 mph), while some manufacturers claim speeds of up to 700 kilometers per hour (435 mph).Ukraine is also testing five high-speed interceptor models, with one expected to reach production of approximately 400 units by the end of October.Cherevashenko said interceptor drones in the quantities required by the Air Force were not expected before the end of November.F-16s remain among the most effective defensesUkraine is also using F-16 fighter jets to engage Russia’s high-speed drones.“F-16s are among the most effective means of countering jet-powered UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles],” Cherevashenko said. “Any aircraft has a limited service life, and we are using that resource at an exceptionally high rate.”Maintaining the aircraft in constant readiness is therefore difficult and requires continued assistance from Ukraine’s partners, he added.Kyiv is seeking large quantities of 20-millimeter ammunition for the F-16’s onboard cannon, which offers a cheaper alternative to using scarce AIM-9 and AIM-120 air-to-air missiles against drones.Cherevashenko said another key method was destroying the drones before launch by striking their bases, known as droneports.Several such facilities have already been hit, he said, although many are heavily fortified with concrete and remain difficult to destroy. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.