Defence against jet-powered drones: over 12 turrets have been installed in Kyiv, - Zelenskyy
More than 12 turrets have already been installed in Kyiv to provide protection against jet drones, with a further eight planned for installation in the Kyiv region.
This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a joint press conference with Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Kyiv, reports Censor.NET, citing Ukrinform.
What is known
Regarding the measures being taken to protect against jet-powered UAVs, Zelenskyy said: "We have started installing turrets. Twelve have already been installed in the capital, and a further eight ‘fifties’ (referring to automatic combat modules (turrets) designed for 50-calibre machine guns – ed.) will be installed in the Kyiv region."
Combined defence is needed
According to the president, a combined defence is needed against new threats. He added that the Russians will now be relying specifically on jet drones and ballistic missiles.
"As for massive strikes – strikes similar to those we are currently witnessing – I believe they will focus not on quantity but on quality, shifting from the use of conventional kamikaze drones to the maximum deployment of jet-powered ones," he said.
Ukraine’s response to Russian rocket-powered drones
- Since May 2026, Russian forces have been launching new "Geran-4" jet-powered drones at Ukraine. They are faster and more manoeuvrable than previous versions.
- Ukraine has four potential interceptors capable of destroying jet-powered UAVs. They have already undergone field trials, but production needs to be scaled up to thousands of units.
- On 21 August, the Ukrainian Armed Forces commissioned the first Ukrainian jet-powered drone interceptor.
- On 28 September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the overall success rate for shooting down drones currently stands at 70 per cent, and for jet-powered ones at 57 per cent.
- On 29 September, Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara stated that the Air Force’s air defence units must shoot down Russian targets before they reach Kyiv.
