Jet-powered Shahed drones signal shift to cheap machine warfare weapons – Zaluzhnyi

“Yes, I was not mistaken – this is indeed a missile, but it is a missile that is no longer a weapon reserved for the select few,” Zaluzhnyi emphasized.

The former commander-in-chief noted that Ukrainian companies can pivot rapidly to meet battlefield needs, developing new weapons based directly on real-time combat experience.

“No other country can offer more relevant experience for developing, modernizing, and deploying new weaponry,” Zaluzhnyi said.

However, he added, a lack of technology and funding makes it impossible to wrest the initiative away from Russia and its allies.

Zaluzhnyi urged partners to scale up financial and technological investments in Ukrainian weapons production, emphasizing that support is vital both to degrade Russia's military capability and to strengthen Ukraine's long-term defense.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat confirmed that Russia launched five times as many jet-powered drones at Ukraine in July compared to June.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara announced on August 30 that the military has field-tested four potential interceptor models capable of shooting down Russia's faster, jet-powered Shahed drones.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy chaired a military leadership meeting on September 3 focused primarily on accelerating the production of high-speed interceptors to counter Russia's jet-powered Shahed drones.

He stated that several domestic manufacturers are capable of producing the weapons, noting that prototypes have already been developed and are being upgraded to maximize their combat effectiveness.

An analysis by Defense Express published on September 6 concluded that Russia's jet-powered drones have evolved significantly, making them closer to cruise missiles than standard Shaheds.