Ukraine's air defenses faced a new threat: Russia's deployment of jet-powered attack drones, potentially based on the Iranian Shahed-238. These drones, significantly faster than the current Shahed-136, were used in a recent attack alongside numerous Shahed drones. While Ukraine successfully intercepted many Shahed drones, the speed of the new jet-propelled models poses a major challenge to its current air defenses, including interceptor drones and mobile fire groups. The increased speed necessitates a significant upgrade in Ukraine's defense capabilities to effectively counter this threat.

Prepared by Rachel Morgan and reviewed by editorial team.