Ukraine Struggles to Counter Russia's New Drones

Technology is continuing to reshape the war in Ukraine. Moscow's new jet-powered "Geran" drones are outrunning and outmuscling Kyiv's defenses, with interception rates dropping to just over 60% in August—versus more than 90% for older, slower drones, the Wall Street Journal reports. The turbojet Gerans fly at cruise-missile speeds (300+ mph), haul payloads of up to about 200 pounds, and now arrive in large enough numbers that Ukraine is facing round-the-clock strikes on its cities and infrastructure.

Some upgraded "Seeker" versions can visually recognize and track targets, keep going if they lose contact with their operator, and resist jamming—forcing Ukraine to throw everything from F-16s to portable missiles at them while it scrambles to field its own jet-powered interceptor drones, the Journal reports. According to Ukrainian military data seen by Reuters, Russia increased its use of jet-powered drones sixfold over the summer.

Sources tell Reuters that tests of Ukraine's new generation of interceptors this summer were disappointing. "With the jet drones, we completely screwed up the initiative again, that's a fact," a senior Ukrainian commander complained Friday. Investigators say Russian production hinges on imported dual-use components, many from China and the West despite sanctions. For technical specs and graphics, read the full analysis at the Wall Street Journal.