Russia's September Jet Drones Use Spike to Nearly 3,500, Air Force Says

Russia launched almost 3,500 jet-powered drones against Ukraine throughout September, according to Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat on Wednesday.The drones fly faster than propeller-driven drones and are harder to shoot down.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.Ihnat announced the figure on television, as reported by state media Ukrinform. September has also seen intensified Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, ranging from passenger trains to gas stations, with data centers and residential buildings in central Kyiv also targeted – a relative rarity in the more than four-year war.The numbers represent a 10-fold spike from the 350 cited by Ihnat in June, rising to 1,500 a month later before reaching 2,850 in August.By late September, Ihnat said Russia launched 1,900 jet-powered drones, a week before the month was over – meaning close to 1,600 were likely launched within the last week of the month.The figure is largely in line with those given by President Volodymyr Zelensky in a recent statement, in which he said on Sunday, Oct. 4, that Russia launched 1,900 strike drones, 1,700 guided aerial bombs, and 25 missiles of various types against Ukraine over the past week.But Ihnat also noted fewer Russian jet-powered drones launched in October thus far, with around 50 per night and around 30 during the day.Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) previously suggested Russia might have trouble obtaining the Chinese jet engines used in the drones, though the agency later said recent models also came with improved navigation and warheads. Other Topics of Interest British Defence Intelligence Update Ukraine 6 October , 2026 Latest from the British Defence Intelligence. Ihnat also noted the newer jet-powered drones – now capable of reaching 800-900 kilometers per hour (500-560 mph) – are comparable to ordinary cruise missiles and complicate Ukrainian efforts at interception.Recent reports also suggest that Russia is scaling production of similar weapons by refitting target aircraft with warheads, such as the Dan-Ts, to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses.F-16s to the rescue?Ihnat said Kyiv is working with its allies on countermeasures.“Innovative solutions from our military-industrial complex, our military leadership, and political leadership, in conjunction with our partners, will help us solve this problem,” he said, as reports suggest that US-made F-16s have taken on bigger roles in intercepting the jet-powered drones in recent weeks, with Kyiv seeking additional 20mm autocannon rounds to help down the drones.As Russia began targeting bridges connecting both sides of the Ukrainian capital across the Dnipro River in October, Kyiv also began deploying automatic machine gun turrets, enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI), along the bridges with some success.Ihnat said the turrets have already shot down jet-powered drones, leaving him surprised.Zelensky also vowed to soon scale up production of small air defense missiles to complement layered air defenses around Kyiv, though little is known about the project, including the missiles’ type, performance, and planned production numbers. Leo Chiu is a journalist and editor based in Eastern Europe since 2015. He has witnessed two presidential elections in Belarus and traveled widely to conflict zones and contested regions, producing reporting that bridges the gap between major developments and local realities.