Ukraine races to counter Russia's jet-powered drone attacks

Ukraine is racing to counter a sixfold rise in Russian jet-powered drone attacks, which increased from roughly 450 launches in June to about 2,850 in August. The weapons fly around 240 to 500 kilometres per hour and can change route or altitude under guidance, making many existing interceptor drones too slow; a July trial exposed control problems in several prototypes. More than 60 Ukrainian companies are developing faster interceptors, cheaper guided missiles, AI-assisted head-on engagements and networked electronic countermeasures. Many solutions remain in testing, leaving crewed aircraft to shoulder part of the defence burden.