Russia is increasing its use of jet-powered "Shaheds" and expanding geographical scope of its strikes, - Ihnat
Russia is increasing the number of "Shahed" drones and expanding the geographic scope of their use, placing an additional burden on Ukraine's air defense and air force.
According to Censor.NET, Yuriy Ignat, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, announced this during a telethon.
Because of the high speed of these drones, the military has to respond quickly to threats in various regions of the country.
Ignat emphasized that in recent days, the number of jet-powered drones used by the enemy has increased significantly. Previously, they accounted for only one-third of all drones launched by the enemy.
"This suggests that the enemy is making certain changes, not only in its tactics but also in its strategy. Because today we are indeed seeing a large number of rocket-propelled grenades," Ignat noted.
The Air Force spokesperson also emphasized that the conventional piston-engine "Shaheds" have not disappeared. Therefore, all the air defense systems that were previously in use continue to operate in various regions of Ukraine.
Russia is expanding the geographic scope of its strikes
Ignat emphasized that, due to the wide geographic scope of the attacks, it is difficult to intercept all aerial targets. During the most recent strikes, Russian drones were spotted, in particular, in western and northern Ukraine.
According to him, the enemy is sending small groups of several rocket-powered drones to various regions. This forces the Ukrainian military command to deploy air defense assets and respond quickly to changes in the situation.
"Here, ground-based air defense systems should be used for interception; of course, the priority is aviation, which can respond quickly—our fighter jets can take off and intercept such targets," explained the Air Force spokesperson.
This tactic places an additional burden on both ground-based air defense systems and the Ukrainian Air Force.
The "Shahed" jet aircraft can reach speeds of up to 400 km/h
One of the factors that make it difficult to intercept drones is their speed. According to Ignat, a standard "Shahed" flies at a speed of about 150 km/h, while a jet-powered one can reach speeds of up to 400 km/h.
For this reason, an air raid alert may be issued in advance so that the warning can reach the population before the threat arrives.
"Thus, the country is indeed being kept in a state of tension—both the economy and the state. This is one of Russia's objectives—to exert pressure in this way," the spokesperson said.
He also noted that each drone is headed toward a specific target. The target can be programmed in advance or selected during flight if the drone is connected via a mesh network.
Ukraine needs more aircraft and ammunition
Ignat noted that even a relatively small number of hits by Russian drones causes destruction. If the enemy manages to land five to ten hits every day, this will have negative consequences for Ukraine.
Therefore, according to him, it is necessary to develop innovative air defense systems that will help improve the effectiveness of intercepting aerial targets.
Separately, the spokesperson emphasized the need for additional aircraft, missiles, and aviation munitions. Ukrainian pilots undergo training both in Ukraine—specifically on simulators at the Kharkiv University of the Air Force—and at training centers in partner countries.
"We have pilots; we need more planes, and most importantly, we need more missiles and ammunition, because no matter what kind of planes we have, without missiles and ammunition, they're useless," Ignat emphasized.
He added that the Ukrainian Air Force is already doing a great deal to shoot down Russian drones in the air.
