Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine / Facebook
Ukraine’s air defenses have been shooting down a growing share of Russian jet-powered drones, using fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft systems and new interceptor drones, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Over the past three months, Ukrainian air defenses have destroyed an average of nearly 60% of Russian Geran-4 drones, the General Staff said. The interception rate during individual attacks has reached 80%.
“Tactical aviation — F-16s, Mirages and MiG-29s — plays a significant role in destroying jet-powered UAVs,” the General Staff said. It added that strengthening Ukraine’s short-range air defenses was particularly important amid a shortage of surface-to-air missiles.
These defenses include Gepard and Shilka anti-aircraft guns, as well as modern Skynex, Skyranger and Terrahawk Paladin systems. Interceptor drones and mobile fire groups from across Ukraine’s Defense Forces also contribute to the effort.
Mobile fire groups use machine guns and associated equipment, as well as man-portable air-defense systems. The General Staff said Ukrainian troops had been using these systems successfully against Russian jet-powered drones.
Ukraine is also working to reduce the cost of countering such aerial threats. Tests of new interceptor systems are ongoing, and some models have already downed dozens of Russian Geran drones, the General Staff said.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara recently reported successful use of Bars interceptors against jet-powered Shahed drones. According to Khmara, one unit destroyed all five targets using five interceptors. The military is studying the experience to expand the use of the systems and involve additional units.
Separately, Ukrainian military officer and aviation engineer Yurii Kasianov has proposed using ground-guided anti-aircraft missiles against jet-powered drones. He argues that this approach could simplify the interception of fast-moving targets and reduce the need for highly skilled operators, making expensive missile-seeker systems unnecessary for this task.
