Russia's Jet-Powered Shahed Drones: $12B 2027 Production Push, Kyiv Says

Ukrainian intelligence says Russia plans to spend about $12 billion in 2027 on jet-powered attack drones and loitering munitions, expanding a threat that is harder to intercept than piston-powered Shahed variants. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine currently defeats only about 55 percent of the faster jet-powered drones, compared with more than 90 percent of conventional Shaheds. Kyiv is responding by expanding interceptor production and signing additional drone agreements, but the Russian investment could intensify pressure on air defenses and critical infrastructure if the projected program is executed.