Nadya Prishlyak11:07, 23.09.26

Russia has already launched 7,700 jet drones into Ukraine.

Everyone understood the threat of Russia using jet drones existed, but it was unexpected that they immediately launched mass production. This was stated by Yuriy Ignat, Head of the Communications Department of the Ukrainian Air Force, during the telethon.

According to him, information about the “Banderoli” and the “Shahed” rockets was publicly available.

“It’s not that everyone was unprepared, as they understood the threat existed. But none of the experts understood or imagined that Russia could use Shahed jets on such a large scale. After all, they’re a very expensive thing, with a single engine costing between $20,000 and $50,000,” Ignat said.

According to him, they contain components from Europe, the United States, and China. The head of the Ukrainian Air Force’s communications department noted that Russia is launching jet drones essentially off the assembly line, as parts produced in Europe just two weeks ago are being found in the wreckage.Read also:

Ignat says it was unexpected that Russia would begin ramping up production, given that it was essentially a cruise missile. He explains that the enemy has already used 7,700 jet-powered drones in strikes against Ukraine, including 350 in June, 1,500 in July, 2,850 in August, and 1,900 in September.

“This demonstrates that the enemy is not stopping, finding ways to procure jet engines and other components and assemble drones in Russia. About half of the Shaheds are now jet-powered UAVs,” he emphasized.

(c)UNIAN 2026