Russia is developing jet-powered drones capable of reaching speeds of up to 800 km/h, while Ukraine is already working on countermeasures against these emerging aerial threats, Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara said during a meeting with journalists.
According to Khmara, Ukrainian manufacturers and defence industry companies have been tasked with developing potential solutions.
"We know what technologies Russia is developing, including jet-powered drones capable of reaching speeds of 800 km/h. We are also working to find ways to counter the next generation of threats," Khmara said.
Jet-powered UAVs pose a more complex threat than conventional Shahed drones because intercepting them requires significantly higher speeds.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat previously reported that jet-powered Shahed drones travel at approximately 400 km/h, while Banderols drones can reach speeds of up to 600 km/h.
Ukraine's air defence system consists of several layers of protection, including surface-to-air missile systems, man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), gun turrets, electronic warfare systems and interceptor drones.
