UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Sep. 10 — Russian forces started to attack Kharkiv and the region with jet-powered Italmas drones, Petro Tokar, head of Kharkiv regional police, told local media Suspilne Kharkiv.

Since the beginning of 2026, Russian forces have attacked Kharkiv oblast with new Italmas drones, which can cross a distance of over 500 kilometers (~310 miles) and carry between 15-27 kilograms (33-60 pounds) of explosives. The Russians are currently equipping it with a jet engine, making the drone fast and, therefore, very challenging to down for air defenses.

According to Tokar, the Russians are using jet-powered Italmas drones to attack gas stations in Kharkiv and the region. On Sep. 8, they attacked one of the gas stations in the city’s Kyivskyi district.

“The Russians use jet-powered Italmas or Molniya drones because gas stations are explosive sites. It’s easy to start a fire there,” Tokar said.

The head of the regional police added that the Russians are using different weapons for different purposes: they launch Banderol missiles on objects such as grain silos, while civilian transport is targeted by FPV drones.

Read more

  • Ukraine received 76 shipments of energy equipment worth €75 millions through Energy Support Fund over summer

 ⛈️ Winter is coming, and, for Ukraine, it is predicted to be awful. Please support our Kharkiv-based newsroom with a $5 coffee to help us withstand whatever Russia has prepared for us.