Russia’s new jet-powered drones force Kyiv into daytime air raids

Kyiv is facing hours of daytime air raid warnings as Russia unleashes a new type of faster drone on Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says around 800 Shahed drones have been fired into the country in just four days, in an apparent effort to “wear down” the population. The new-model Shahed drones travel at 200 to 250 miles per hour—about double the speed of the older piston-engine version. That makes them too fast for Ukraine’s cheaper interceptors, which struggle to catch them. As a result, the attacks are harder to stop and keep the city on alert for longer stretches during daylight. The drones are jet-powered, a shift from the previous propeller-driven models, allowing Russia to sustain prolonged waves of strikes. Ukrainian officials have not yet confirmed how many of the drones were shot down or what damage they caused. The repeated raids mark a new phase in the conflict, with Russia using speed to stretch Ukraine’s air defense capabilities. For now, residents of Kyiv face the familiar sound of sirens—but now in the middle of the day, with fewer ways to respond.