UKRAINE, Sep. 16 — Ukraine successfully tested a new interceptor against Russian jet-powered drones, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, reported.

In early 2026, Russia began attacking Ukraine with kamikaze jet drones. These drones posed a challenge to Ukraine’s air defense system because their speed makes them difficult to shoot down.

Zelenskyy said that Mykhailo Drapatyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, had reported on the tests.

“(Russian) Shahed was successfully destroyed, but some aspects of the interceptor’s control system need to be improved,” the President added.

This August, the first Ukrainian jet-powered interceptor drones, designed to counter Russian jet-powered drones, are undergoing combat testing.

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