Russia has deployed new jet-powered drones capable of reaching speeds of 310 miles per hour, making them significantly more challenging for Ukraine's air defenses to intercept, according to CNN.
These advanced drones were reportedly used in a Thursday attack on Kyiv that resulted in at least 30 fatalities and injured 91 people, making it one of the deadliest assaults on the capital since the war began. The attack also damaged nearly 130 buildings.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat stated that the "percentage of jet-powered Shaheds in their arsenal is increasing, which depletes [our] resources." The drones can only be effectively countered by ground-to-air missiles or fighter jets, posing a significant challenge to Ukraine's mobile fire groups.
A U.S.-based conflict monitor noted that the addition of faster-moving drones is among Russia's tactical and technological options to "maximize civilian harm during strikes on Ukraine." The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) indicated that these adaptations in strike packages are likely to "generate increased civilian harm."
In addition to the drones, Russia's attack on Thursday involved 28 ballistic missiles out of a total of 77 missiles fired, a number described by Ihnat as "very, very high."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who returned to Kyiv during the attack, criticized allies for not providing air defense systems in a timely manner. "If our partners had delivered on their promises in a timely manner, I think we could have saved more homes and lives today," Zelensky said, emphasizing that Ukraine is requesting partners fulfill existing agreements.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the "massive attack" was retaliation for Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian territory.
Rescue efforts were ongoing, with officials expecting the death toll to rise as debris was cleared from a collapsed residential building. Approximately 90% of the drones and missiles launched in the Thursday attack were reportedly intercepted by Ukrainian forces.