Life in Kyiv amid constant air-raid warnings as Russia shifts to jet-powered drones

Russia spent the summer terrorising Ukraine with large-scale attacks, only increasing their intensity. Cruise and ballistic missiles, Shahed drones, guided aerial bombs and Banderol missiles have been deployed en masse along with jet-powered strike UAVs from the Geran family. And the number of these drones keeps growing in the reports issued by Ukraine's Air Force.

Western media reports say that the Russians are preparing to further intensify their massive attacks on Kyiv and other regions. Plans to continue the terror have also been voiced openly in Russia's State Duma [parliament]: Deputy Chairman Pyotr Tolstoy called for Ukrainian cities to be bombed to force Ukrainians to surrender. Following this statement, Russia's Defence Ministry stressed that it is preparing to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Which weapons does Russia plan to use most extensively, does Ukraine have the means to counter them, and what should be expected as the cold season approaches? Read about these issues in the new Ukrainska Pravda.In Brief format.

Tactics of attacks are changing

Back in 2025, Russia's main long-range strike tactic was to launch massive attacks against the whole of Ukraine simultaneously using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. Now the Russians are developing a new approach, and a different pattern has emerged over the past two months:

1. Infrequent large-scale combined attacks involving cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as jet-powered drones. Kyiv Oblast has recently been one of the main targets of such strikes.
2. Regular localised attacks on Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast, primarily involving large numbers of jet-powered UAVs.
3. A major focus on Odesa Oblast, which Russia has been attacking using tactical aircraft and jet-powered drones.

In July 2026, Ukraine's Air Force reported intercepting more than 5,300 aerial assets. The number of interceptions in June was roughly the same, but the nature of the attacks was different. Yurii Ihnat, head of the communications department of Ukraine's Air Force, told Ukrainska Pravda that Russia is placing increasing emphasis on jet-powered UAVs every month.

Ihnat said: "There were five times more jet-powered drones in July than in June. That is the trend. Obviously, there will be no fewer of them in August [according to the statistics – ed.] than there were in July."

Russia is launching high-speed drones straight from the factory, said Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser to the Ukrainian president. He estimates that the number of these UAVs has increased by at least 67% over the past month – from around 1,500 to more than 2,500.

Banderols are also becoming a new element of the attacks. They are a type of weapon fitted with a turbojet engine, also known as a missile drone. Banderols are launched from Orion strike-reconnaissance UAVs and attack helicopters. Ihnat does not rule out the possibility that Russian tactical aircraft will also begin using these UAVs soon.

Aviation expert Anatolii Khrapchynskyi told Ukrainska Pravda that the increase in the number of jet-powered drones and combined missile drones was an entirely predictable step by Russia. The Russians have long been trying to reduce their dependence on costly missile weapons, replacing them with weapons that are much cheaper but can be deployed in large numbers and travel at high speeds.

How jet-powered drones differ from conventional ones

The main difference between these UAVs is their speed, which changes the rules of the game:

• conventional Shahed drones – 150-170 km/h
• jet-powered drones – around 400-500 km/h
• Banderol missiles – up to 600 km/h.

Khrapchynskyi says the impact of a conventional UAV and a jet-powered one is broadly similar, as the weight of their warheads is the same. However, their speed can have some effect on their destructive power.

Khrapchynskyi said: "Because of its high speed, a jet-powered drone has significantly greater kinetic energy. This increases its penetrating effect when hitting buildings. Residual aviation fuel also produces a more extensive and higher-temperature thermal effect."

It is too early to talk about Russia's stockpiles of jet-powered drones, as the country is still only at the stage of ramping up production. Khrapchynskyi explained that high-speed drones are considerably more expensive to produce than piston-powered Shaheds because of the higher cost of their engines. However, producing jet-powered drones is still cheaper for Russia than producing full-fledged tactical- or strategic-class cruise missiles.

The main factor that could constrain Russia's production of such drones is its almost complete dependence on external supplies, particularly from China. The aviation expert said this primarily concerns heat-resistant structural materials and electronics for control systems.

Russia also depends on supplies of compact, small-sized turbojet engines, most of which are either manufactured in China or brought in through grey imports.

By increasing the number of jet-powered drones, the Russians are reducing the proportion of conventional Shaheds they use. This indicates that they understand Ukraine's weak spot – its difficulty in intercepting high-speed UAVs.

The Air Force told Ukrainska Pravda that Ukrainian interceptor drones, mobile fire groups and electronic warfare systems are effective against conventional Shaheds, allowing nearly 90% of petrol-powered drones to be shot down.

Meanwhile, Ukraine currently uses only aircraft and ground-based air defence against jet-powered drones. The flight characteristics of these UAVs are similar to those of cruise missiles, meaning that interception systems are also considerably more expensive. It should be noted that Ukraine is currently critically short of interceptor missiles for Patriot air defence systems.

Our country is currently actively working to find effective ways of countering Russian jet-powered drones. On 30 August, Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara said that four potential interceptors had already undergone field tests and were capable of shooting down high-speed drones. The priority at present is to finalise the relevant solutions and scale up their production to thousands of units.

How far can high-speed UAVs fly?

The maximum range of Russian jet-powered drones is not officially known. However, experience shows that they can cover distances of up to 1,000 kilometres. For example, on 18 August, a high-speed UAV reached Rivne Oblast for the first time, having travelled around 900 kilometres from occupied Crimea. And on 28 August, radars detected a jet-powered drone over Volyn Oblast. The drone had covered approximately 960 kilometres.

Khrapchynskyi explained that the Russians can significantly increase their flight range by reducing the weight of the warhead and adjusting the fuel balance.

This would allow them to reach deeper rear areas of western Ukraine, but the accuracy of strikes could deteriorate significantly, Vadym Hlushko, founder of the Cyberboroshno OSINT community, explained to Ukrainska Pravda.

Quote from Hlushko: "When drones fly over the Kyiv-Zhytomyr logistics routes and destroy petrol stations, they are being controlled. Strikes on the west of Ukraine cannot be controlled. But the fact remains: jet-powered UAVs are capable of reaching there, and Russia has plans to attack one of the cities in the west of Ukraine."

Drones are launched in small waves

The terror tactics have changed somewhat compared with previous months. Whereas previously the Russians would accumulate weapons and then launch everything at once, they are now spreading attacks throughout the course of a day, keeping Ukrainians under constant pressure. For example, on 27 August, the capital recorded its highest number of air-raid warnings since 1 March 2022 – 13 warnings were issued within 24 hours.

Jet-powered drones often fly in waves of four or five UAVs. Only after the Ukrainian Air Force repels the attack do the Russians launch the next batch.

According to Khrapchynskyi, the change in tactics can be explained by Russia's capabilities – the number of launchers is limited. There may also be insufficient time to reload them and enter new flight missions. However, there is another side to this strategy.

Quote from Khrapchynskyi: "Russia is exerting continuous pressure on our defences [by launching drones in small batches – ed.]. Fighter aircraft are being drawn onto an exhausting conveyor belt: take-off, interception of a high-speed target, landing, refuelling and rearming. This rapidly wears down the aircraft's resources, while ground-based air-defence systems remain under constant strain.

The Russians are counting on the simple human factor of operator fatigue."

Updated Iskander-1000 ballistic missile

In addition to drones, Russia is placing a major emphasis on ballistic missiles, which Ukraine also struggles to intercept due to a shortage of interceptor missiles.

As Defence Intelligence of Ukraine reported, in summer 2026 Russia used the updated Iskander-1000 ballistic missile against the capital for the first time.

The 1000 in the name is more frightening than realistic, Khrapchynskyi said. He describes the figure merely as a "design ceiling and target" for the Russian defence industry. In reality, the available technical data on the Iskander-1000 indicate it has a range of around 550 kilometres.

Quote from Khrapchynskyi: "They are seeking to achieve a greater range [1,000 kilometres – ed.]. To do this, they are using more energy-dense solid propellant, optimising the engine and significantly reducing the warhead's weight – to approximately 300-350 kilograms.

The main difference between this modification and conventional Iskanders lies in alterations to the ballistic profile and fuel balance."

In reality, the Russians are modifying these missiles because they have a strategic objective – Russia is trying to maximise their range in order to move its scarce launchers as far away from the Ukrainian border as possible, Khrapchynskyi believes.

The Russians now realise that Ukraine's long-range capabilities are expanding. Ukraine also has no shortage of intelligence capabilities, meaning that Russian positions near the line of contact are becoming priority and extremely vulnerable targets for strikes.

***

There is no doubt that Russia's latest attacks and Ukrainian intelligence data indicate that the Russians are working on large-scale production of ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones. However, with the onset of the cold season, the Russians will not rely exclusively on a single type of weapon, Khrapchynskyi emphasises. Instead, Russia is building a complex synergy in which each weapon will have its own purpose.

"Classic piston-engined drones and cheap decoys overload our radar detection systems and exhaust mobile fire teams. Jet-powered UAVs reduce reaction times and force us to scramble fighter aircraft and deploy medium-range surface-to-air missile systems. Ballistic missiles attempt to strike at moments when the system is under the greatest strain.

This is a carefully calculated layered tactic in which each wave has its own functional task," Khrapchynskyi concluded.

Ukraine is already preparing for the new challenges that Russian attacks may bring in the autumn. The frequent alerts about threats are already hurting Ukraine's economy, as businesses effectively have to halt their operations. If the attacks intensify as the cold weather sets in, the situation will become even more difficult. Therefore, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said that the government is already preparing changes to how institutions and transport operate during air-raid warnings so that the country can adapt to the new reality.

Tetiana Kryvishyn

Translated by Anna Kybukevych and Yelyzaveta Khodatska

Edited by Susan McDonald