Russia’s jet-powered drones put Ukraine’s air defences under pressure

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Moscow: Russia employed its latest jet-powered Geran drones every day in August, showing a significant increase in the country's drone campaign against Ukraine, according to a BBC Verify study of Ukrainian Air Force data.

According to Ukraine, the number of speedier drone launches increased dramatically, from approximately 350 in June to 1,600 in July and 2,800 in August. The drones are far faster than the older propeller-driven Shahed/Geran types, making them more difficult to detect and intercept.

The newer Geran-4 and Geran-5 are said to be capable of speeds of up to 250 mph (400 km/h). Their increased use has led to air-raid alerts lasting into the day, putting further strain on Ukraine's meagre air-defence resources.

Russia appears to be deploying the speedier drones in significant numbers to overwhelm Ukraine's defences, forcing Kyiv to rely on increasingly expensive and scarce intercept systems.