Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will develop drone interceptors capable of shooting down Russia's jet-powered drones, but acknowledged the effort needs more time and money to succeed. He made the comments during a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Zelensky admitted that Ukraine has not had enough resources to destroy all of the fast-moving drones Russia has been launching against it. He said more than 60 companies are now working on interceptor technology.
He said Ukraine has a unique system that combines technology, knowledge and experience in protecting airports and critical infrastructure. But he added that the system cannot keep operating unchanged every day, because the war and its technologies keep evolving.
Lessons from the Middle East
Zelensky recalled the assistance Ukraine had given to Middle Eastern countries defending against Iranian drone attacks. He said that after Ukraine provided that help, Russia responded by starting to use jet-powered drones of its own.
He said Ukraine had to be very honest that it did not have enough means to destroy all of the fast drones. He added that the country is on the way to solving the problem, with more than 60 companies already working on it, and that a result would be achieved, though it would take time.
Zelensky also acknowledged that the challenge of shooting down jet drones is not only a matter of technology but also of financing, since producing thousands of interceptors every day requires money.
Because of this, he said, Ukraine is sharing its technology and knowledge with partners, while daily work continues on the problem at home. He said that is why Ukraine is discussing joint production and setting up production lines in other countries, given how quickly the situation keeps changing.
Why jet drones are harder to stop
Russia has recently stepped up attacks using jet-powered drones, which are harder for Ukraine's air defenses to shoot down than the propeller-driven drones Russia has more commonly used. The shift has increased both the number and the length of air raid alerts across Ukraine.
Ukraine's wider response
In early July, when the threat from jet drones first began to be discussed in the media, sources at the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine told LIGA.net that, besides interceptor drones, two other prospective weapons were being considered to counter the fast drones.
On September 3, Zelensky said Ukrainian defense companies were capable of ramping up production of interceptors to counter jet drones. Three days later, he said Ukraine had a backup plan, which he called Plan B, for protecting against Russian attacks, including jet drones.
A spokesperson for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had earlier told LIGA.net that Ukraine currently cannot rely on interceptors to counter jet drones, but that Ukrainian forces are using other means instead.
