---
title: "Russia to Increase Use of Jet Drones in Attacks Against Ukraine, Says Zelenskyy"
description: "President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is changing its air strike tactics against Ukraine, moving toward the use of high-quality jet drones."
date: 2026-10-04T14:10:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/russia-to-increase-jet-drones-attacks-ukraine-zelenskyy
tags: [zelenskyy, russia-ukraine-war, air-defense, drones, mercz]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Russia to Increase Use of Jet Drones in Attacks Against Ukraine, Says Zelenskyy

![President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a briefing announcing the increase of jet drones by Russia](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/04/rf-uvelichit-kolichestvo-reaktivnyh-dronov-zelenskiy/rf-uvelichit-kolichestvo-reaktivnyh-dronov-zelenskiy-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Russia is shifting to the use of jet drones during massive attacks.
- The focus is placed on the quality and speed of the new aircraft.
- Ballistic missiles and jet UAVs remain the main challenge for Ukraine's air defense.
- Ukraine is mobilizing its defense industry and looking for F-16 ammunition.

Russia intends to significantly change the tactics of its massive air strikes against the territory of Ukraine. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a joint briefing with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Kyiv. According to the head of state, the Ukrainian side and its allies must prepare for a new challenge, as the enemy plans to scale up the deployment of fundamentally new airborne weapons.

### New Focus on Quality and Speed

As the Ukrainian leader emphasized, the Russian side intends to focus on the qualitative characteristics of its weaponry instead of the previous extensive approach. Although there may not be as many jet drones at the initial stage as the usual propeller-driven Shahed-type UAVs, they possess completely different speed characteristics. This forces the Ukrainian command to urgently adapt the entire layered air defense system to the new threats.

### Challenges for Air Defense

The President of Ukraine noted that the occupiers will continue to combine air strikes, using both cruise and ballistic missiles. While air defense forces already have effective counter-measures against cruise missiles, ballistic missiles remain a serious challenge. Nevertheless, jet drones terrorizing Ukrainian cities are becoming the main tactical complexity at the moment.

### Response of the Ukrainian Defense Industry

In response to technological challenges, the Ukrainian authorities and the domestic military-industrial complex are taking preventive measures. In particular, special defensive turrets are already being installed in the capital and other regions, and dozens of private and state-owned companies are working on creating effective interception tools. As Zelenskyy noted, Ukraine is also actively seeking scarce ammunition for F-16 fighter jets, which should become part of a comprehensive response to the enemy's modernized air attacks.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [РФ увеличит количество реактивных дронов во время атак на Украину, - Зеленский](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rf-zbilshit-kilkist-reaktivnih-droniv-pid-1791122834.html) - Первичное заявление президента Украины на брифинге с канцлером ФРГ.
- [Зеленский и Мерц в Киеве: новый пакет помощи, 700 ракет РФ и ответ за удары по мостам](https://hvylya.net/news/329299-zelenskiy-i-merc-v-kieve-novyy-paket-pomoshchi-700-raket-rf-i-otvet-za-udary-po-mostam) - Контекст встречи лидеров в Киеве.
- [В Киеве установили более 12 турелей для защиты от реактивных дронов](https://ua.news/ru/ukraine/u-kiievi-vstanovili-ponad-12-turelei-proti-reaktivnikh-droniv-1) - Меры защиты украинских городов.
- [Зеленский: В Украине 67 компаний работают над сбиванием реактивных дронов](https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2026/09/06/8052171/) - Информация о работе оборонного сектора.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who announced the change in Russian strike tactics?
**A:** Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a briefing in Kyiv.

### Q: What is the peculiarity of the new drones?
**A:** They are equipped with jet engines, making them much faster and harder to intercept compared to standard UAVs.