Russia's Jet Drones Hit Two-Thirds of Some Attacks, Ukraine Says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that a Russian jet-powered drone struck a passenger train in the Odesa region, killing at least two people.

The shift in Russian tactics comes as Ukraine grapples with worsening ballistic missile attacks and depleted stockpiles of Western-made interceptors. Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency said in May that Russia was ramping up jet-drone employment in response to the effectiveness of Ukrainian interceptor drones, while also improving the drones' maneuverability.

Ukrainian defense companies are racing to adapt. Skyfall, a Ukrainian firm, told Business Insider that its new P1-Sun JetKiller interceptor had downed more than a dozen jet-powered threats by late July. The company said it planned to begin mass production this month, with other developers pursuing similar timelines. Beyond interceptors, Ukrainian forces rely on mobile air defense units, electronic warfare systems, fighter jets, and missiles to engage the drones.

Russia has also expanded infrastructure at its air bases to support jet-powered drone launches, which require long rails to accelerate to flight speed before the engine takes over.

The risk for Ukraine is that the faster drones overwhelm its existing defenses, especially as Western interceptor supplies thin. The counter-risk for Russia is that Ukrainian industry delivers a new generation of interceptors that close the speed gap. Skyfall's timeline suggests that race is already underway.