Ukraine Successfully Tests New Interceptor Against Russian Jet Drones, Zelensky Says

Ukraine has successfully tested another interceptor designed to counter Russia’s fast jet-powered attack drones, hitting a Shahed target during the trial, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday, during a meeting.The system still requires improvements to some aspects of its controls, meaning further development will be necessary before it can be considered ready, Zelensky said in a statement posted on Facebook.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“Today, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapaty reported on a new step by our manufacturers – another interceptor against Russian jet-powered drones has been successfully tested,” Zelensky said.“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.”Ukraine is racing to develop affordable weapons capable of destroying Russia’s faster jet-powered drones, which are more difficult to intercept than the propeller-driven Shaheds Moscow has used extensively since 2022.Russia launched about 2,850 jet-powered drones in August, up from around 450 in June, according to Ukrainian military data cited by Reuters. The faster aircraft can travel between 240 and 500 kilometers per hour (150 to 310 mph), while a conventional Shahed typically flies below 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph).The rapid increase has forced Ukraine to search for several possible responses, including faster interceptor drones and lower-cost guided missiles. Other Topics of Interest ‘We Would Have Been Living Without War’: Lavrov Claims West Derailed Alaska Deal Russia’s foreign minister blamed US and Europe for prolonging the war while saying Moscow would not halt its attacks during any renewed negotiations. Earlier in September, Zelensky said that Ukraine already had manufacturers capable of producing high-speed interceptors. Prototypes had been developed, but work was continuing to bring them to the required level of effectiveness.Ukraine’s objective is to obtain enough fast interceptors and inexpensive missiles to protect the country as Russia expands production of high-speed attack drones, according to the president.Ukraine has occasionally deployed F-16 fighter jets against jet-powered drones when other interception options were unavailable.During the meeting, Zelensky also discussed future military operations and Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities with Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara.Zelensky said he, Khmara, and Drapaty had identified Ukraine’s next priority targets, along with the number of weapons required and the necessary preparations.“The results of our long-range impact on the oil base underpinning Russia’s war are quite significant, and this is exactly what gives diplomacy the necessary potential,” Zelensky said.Zelensky also said Ukraine was prepared to take steps toward de-escalation but insisted that its partners must ensure Russia reliably fulfills any corresponding commitment to stop attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure.Ukraine requires any such arrangement to be honest, reliable, and sustainable over the long term, he said. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.