Russian jet-powered drones reach western Ukraine as air defense struggles to find cheap countermeasures
A Russian jet-powered Shahed-type drone has for the first time reached western Ukraine near Lviv, signaling improved Russian capabilities and a growing threat. Latvian military officer Jānis Slaidiņš says shooting down such drones remains costly and technically difficult for Ukraine.
A Russian jet-powered "Shahed"-type drone has reached western Ukraine for the first time, striking an area northeast of Lviv. The event suggests Russia continues upgrading its drone systems, and the threat posed by these weapons may keep growing.
Jānis Slaidiņš, a major in Latvia's National Armed Forces and an officer at the National Guard staff, said on the TV24 program "Aktuālais par karadarbību Ukrainā" that Russia also uses jet-powered drones for mass strikes on Kyiv. He noted a recent attack on the capital lasted 24 hours, with drones arriving in successive waves.
Shooting them down is expensive
According to Slaidiņš, one of the main challenges for Ukraine's air defense is that intercepting jet-powered drones often requires expensive missiles, while there is little effective and affordable alternative. As an example, he mentioned a case where 50 drones were launched along a single route toward Kyiv, yet Ukraine lacked cheap, effective means to counter them.
Ukraine must also reserve costly missiles — such as those used in Stinger or Hawk air defense systems — for other targets, making it wasteful to use them against drones; a single Stinger missile costs more than the drone itself. Small aircraft, machine-gun units and helicopters likewise struggle to down these drones because of their high speed.
One possible solution is 35mm anti-aircraft guns, though this too is costly — a single ten-round burst costs around $11,000. Slaidiņš said the most promising future direction may be jet-powered interceptors, though challenges remain regarding their speed, altitude performance and interception effectiveness.
Russian production is rising
Slaidiņš said Russia can produce roughly 3,000 to 4,000 Shahed-type drones, and newer models are faster, with some reportedly able to fly thousands of kilometers — explaining why drones are now reaching western Ukraine. Slower drone models are gradually being replaced by jet-powered versions.
