Ukrainian Armed Forces reveals weaknesses of Russian jet drones: Details

Russian jet-powered drones do not provide an advantage on the battlefield. Their emergence instead points to a crisis in Russia’s missile production. Ukrainian air defense is successfully intercepting these “hybrids.”

Head of the Reservists Council of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Ivan Tymochko said this in comments to Kyiv24.

Why Russia produces jet drones

According to Tymochko, the use of jet engines on drones is a forced step by Russia.

“They pose a threat, but first of all, jet-powered drones are not a unique means of attack. Essentially, they are something in between a drone and a missile. Due to the problems and challenges in Russian missile manufacturing, they are trying to "cobble together" these jet drones," Tymochko explained.

Despite their higher speed, these systems remain vulnerable to Ukrainian defenders.

“If there are systems capable of intercepting missiles and drones, we understand that this intermediate link can also be intercepted,” the head of the Reservists Council stressed.

Ukrainian analogues to Russian drones

He also added that Ukraine already has its own successful developments in this segment, including the drone-missile "Palianytsia", as well as the "Bulava" and "Peklo" projects.

“We are also developing our own direction of such hybrids, drone-missiles. And we already have much better analogues,” he noted.

According to him, to counter Russian jet-powered drones, Ukrainian forces use IRIS‑T, Gepard, Buk and other available systems. The military is currently adapting tactics to effectively detect these targets along their flight path.

Tymochko noted that the efficiency of jet-powered drones currently does not differ significantly from conventional "Shahed"-type drones. He stressed that this is not a next-generation weapon, but rather an attempt by Russia to find a workaround.

"One cannot say that jet drones are providing any kind of advantage right now. This is one of the enemy's testing options. But as I said, it is more a result of desperation than a unique technological innovation," Tymochko concluded.