Zelenskyy moves to speed interceptor production against jet-powered drones
Zelenskyy holds Staff meeting on accelerating interceptor production against jet-powered drones (Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting of
the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff focused primarily on accelerating all
processes involved in producing high-speed interceptors against jet-powered
Shahed drones, he reported
on Telegram on Sept. 3.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine has manufacturers capable of carrying
out the task. Prototypes have already been developed, and work is underway to
bring the new weapon to the required level of effectiveness.
“I am grateful to all developers and manufacturers — every
company — for their work for our country and our people. It is important to
complete this task within the set deadlines,” Zelenskyy said.
The Staff also discussed in detail the potential for
involving businesses in the production, supply and configuration of certain
types of air defense systems. Specific deadlines and tasks were set for that
work as well.
Zelenskyy said the overall goal is to bring Ukraine’s
defense industry and cooperation with partners to a level that can provide
sufficient numbers of high-quality, high-speed interceptor drones and low-cost
missiles to ensure protection as Russia increases production of its own
high-speed attack systems.
He said Ukrainian intelligence has clear information about
the enemy’s plans and that resources are being directed toward countering the
threat.
“We will also act asymmetrically. The relevant operations
have been approved,” Zelenskyy said.
Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat previously said Russia used five
times as many jet-powered drones to attack Ukraine in July as it did in June.
The increase was linked to a shift in Russia’s drone tactics and greater use of
jet-powered UAVs, which are harder to intercept.
In July, aviation expert Valerii Romanenko told Radio NV
that Ukraine’s Shahed shootdown rate had recently fallen from 90% to 76%
because Russia began using jet-powered Shaheds capable of speeds of 300–450
km/h, compared with 180 km/h for conventional Shaheds.
On Aug. 21, Ukraine’s Defense Forces added the first
Ukrainian jet-powered drone interceptor, Alexa
Spatium, to their arsenal, according to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.
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