Scale of the morning attack on September 1
On September 1, Russian occupiers launched 99 strike drones at Ukraine from early morning, RBC-Ukraine reports, citing the Ukrainian Air Force on Telegram. According to the service, the majority of the devices were shot down. Of the 99 drones launched, 72 were jet-powered — confirming a steady trend over recent weeks, as Moscow has been increasingly deploying precisely jet-powered UAVs for strikes on Ukrainian territory.
Performance of the air defense
As a result of air defense operations, 82 strike drones were shot down or suppressed, of which 57 were jet-powered. This accounts for 79.17% of the total number of jet drones launched that day. Thus, jet-powered devices made up the bulk of the targets destroyed, reflecting both their predominance in the composition of the attack and the difficulty of intercepting them compared to conventional "Shahed-type" drones.
The attack had not ended by evening
As of 18:30, 10 more strike drones were detected in Ukrainian airspace, and new groups of drones continued to cross the border. The Air Force urged citizens not to ignore air raid alerts and to follow safety rules. This means that the figures provided are preliminary and may be revised as the attack concludes.
Jet-powered drones: a growing burden on air defense
Against this backdrop, it is important to consider the context: one of the main targets of the enemy's attacks remains facilities in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, and air raid alerts are constantly declared in the capital. According to the Air Force, in August alone Russian occupiers launched 2,800 jet-powered drones at Ukraine, with their use intensifying toward the end of the month.
Ukrainian defenders are still finding it difficult to cope with such devices: expensive interceptor missiles are used to destroy them. In addition, Ukraine employs several types of interceptor drones to counter jet-powered drones — more about this weapon is described in a RBC-Ukraine article.
