Russian forces significantly increased their use of jet-powered UAVs, launching five times as many of these drones in July as they did in June.
Ukrinform reports this, citing remarks by Yurii Ihnat, head of the Communications Department of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in a televised interview.
“In July, five times as many jet-powered UAVs were used as in June. This was the month when the use of these UAVs, as well as ‘Banderol’ drones, increased significantly. ‘Banderol’ is referred to by different names — a loitering munition, a missile, or a drone. Its flight characteristics are already close to those of a cruise missile, so to speak. It flies at approximately 600 km/h,” Ihnat said.
He added that Russian forces had increased their use of jet-powered drones because they had realized that the Defense Forces have a much harder time shooting them down using conventional methods. According to Ihnat, intercepting these drones requires short-range surface-to-air missile systems, as well as air-defense aviation, including fighter aircraft equipped with air-to-air missiles.
Ihnat also suggested that the figures for Russia’s use of jet-powered drones in August would be even higher.
