Jet-Powered Drones Are Changing the War in Ukraine as Russia Claims It Downed 645 in One Night

Russia has introduced jet-powered drones in its attacks on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, and these weapons are proving difficult for Ukraine to stop because they fly higher and faster than older models [250541]. Ukraine says it needs faster interceptors to shoot them down, but that technology is still in the trial phase, according to Ukrainian officials [250541]. A military analyst noted that "the new jet drones are too fast" [245976].

The war has increasingly shifted toward long-range drone combat, with both sides racing to build and deploy new generations of these weapons against military, industrial, economic, and civilian sites [248643]. Ukrainian crews are launching their own long-range drones, such as the Fire Point FP-2, a small monoplane with a 6-meter wingspan that carries more than 100 kilograms of explosives and can strike targets over 200 miles away [248643].

In a separate development, Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses destroyed 645 Ukrainian drones overnight [250513]. The drones were reportedly shot down over 13 Russian regions, as well as the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and Crimea [250513]. At least nine people were reported injured in the strikes [250513]. Ukraine has not yet responded to the claim, and the two countries have repeatedly traded accusations over cross-border strikes since the war began [250513].