The Russian Federation is continuing to modernize its Shahed strike unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including equipping them with jet engines to increase flight speed. This modernization makes these drones more maneuverable and more difficult to intercept.
In response, Ukraine is developing jet-powered interceptor UAVs that will be able to effectively counter the improved Shahed. This was announced by Yuriy Fedorenko, commander of the 429th separate regiment of unmanned systems "Achilles" in an interview with the UNIAN newspaper.
“The enemy is currently working on making UAVs reactive, which will allow them to move faster. That is why we are working on reactive interceptors today. Here we are lagging behind - we are doing it today for the day before yesterday,” the military man noted. Yuriy Fedorenko emphasized that in order to successfully scale up the production of Ukrainian drones, it is necessary to attract both finances and personnel. He stressed the importance of constant state support and the active participation of every citizen. In addition, the commander of the 429th Air Defense Regiment “Achilles” drew attention to the fact that the Russian Federation has significantly increased the production of “Shaheds”, making them more protected from electronic warfare (EW) means. According to the enemy’s plans, about 500 such UAVs should be manufactured daily.
It is also known that the Russians have begun installing NVIDIA computers on the Shahed, which allow the drones to more effectively bypass Ukrainian air defense systems.
