Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced the start of testing Ukrainian countermeasures against Russian jet drones.
"The first Ukrainian jet-powered interceptor drones for combating Shahed jets are undergoing combat testing. Today, we are observing a trend: the Russians are gradually replacing conventional Shaheds with jet-powered ones. This is a change in aerial warfare strategy. Our response must be swift to continue defeating Russia in every technological cycle," Fedorov wrote on Telegram on Friday.
According to him, thanks to the development of interceptor drones last year, Ukraine now possesses one of the most advanced "small" air defense systems in the world, whose experience is being studied by other armies. "Now the task is to increase our efforts tenfold to combat the threat of jet drones as quickly as possible. Over the course of a year, our team allocated grants to manufacturers through Brave1, analyzed solutions, and assisted with testing. Today, several Ukrainian manufacturers already have such solutions," the former minister said.
Fedorov said he visited one of the companies that created a jet-powered interceptor drone capable of speeds exceeding 600 km/h. "The development is currently undergoing combat testing. We are awaiting results and the first confirmed downings. It’s important not to stop. We need to invest in R&D, testing, and scaling up production. Our team continues to work systematically on this," he emphasized.
As reported, in May, Fedorov, then minister, stated that the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense wanted to increase production volumes and reduce the cost of interceptor missiles in order to prepare for the arrival of jet-powered Shaheds.
On August 10, Acting Minister of Defense of Ukraine Yevhen Khmara, during a discussion with the defense ministers of Sweden and Norway regarding financial support for drone production and countering ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and Shahed missiles, as well as the development of the Freyja anti-ballistic missile project, called countering ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and Shahed missiles an urgent priority. "To achieve this, Ukraine already needs interceptor missiles and asymmetric capabilities," he said.
