---
title: "Why jet-powered Shaheds are hard to shoot down: what actually works in Ukraine's air defense"
description: "Kirill Lyukov, head of the drone technologies department at the Prytula Foundation, explained why jet-powered Shaheds are hard to shoot down and which air defense means actually work against them."
date: 2026-09-04T10:16:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/why-jet-powered-shaheds-are-hard-to-shoot-down-ukraine-air-defense
tags: [ukraine, air-defense, drones, shahed, geran-4, military]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Why jet-powered Shaheds are hard to shoot down: what actually works in Ukraine's air defense

![Air defense soldiers firing a man-portable surface-to-air missile system at low-flying targets against a dusk sky](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/04/reaktivnye-shahedy-kak-sbivat-ukraina-pvo/reaktivnye-shahedy-kak-sbivat-ukraina-pvo-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The speed of jet-powered drones (400–600 km/h) sharply reduces reaction time and lowers the effectiveness of classic interceptors
- Effective means include interception during turns, MANPADS with thermal imaging sights, automated turrets, and anti-aircraft guns with fragmentation rounds (up to 2.5 km)
- There is no serial jet-powered interceptor yet due to the difficulty of scaling engines and high cost; the role of automation is growing
- According to the CCD, Russia strikes Kyiv in waves to exhaust air defense, and drones are launched almost straight from the assembly line

The main challenge in intercepting jet-powered drones is the speed of the aerial target. It drastically reduces reaction time and creates additional difficulties for engagement, notes Kirill Lyukov, head of the drone technologies department at the Serhiy Prytula Foundation, in a column for RBC-Ukraine titled "Why Russia is terrorizing Ukraine with jet-powered Shaheds and what to expect in the future." According to him, the enemy's shift from electric propulsion to jet power on their drones has sharply changed the balance of power in the airspace and forced a rethinking of the set of countermeasures.

### Speed as the main enemy of interception

When shooting down jet-powered drones, "classic" interceptor drones lose effectiveness due to limitations in peak speed and time aloft, while surface-to-air missile systems remain a scarce resource primarily because of a shortage of interceptor missiles and their high cost. At speeds of around 400–600 km/h, the demands on operators grow so much that one of the key development directions becomes the automation of the entire process — from launch and reaching the target area to automatic capture and detonation.

### What works today

That said, jet-powered UAVs are already being successfully engaged. There are successful cases of using interceptor drones, although multirotor interceptors hit such targets only in exceptional cases. One of the working techniques is interception during turns and maneuvers, when the "Geran-4" drones lose speed. Man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) also remain an effective means: their effectiveness depends on the target's range and altitude, as well as on the crews' training and combat experience, while MANPADS have to be modernized and equipped with thermal imaging sights and auxiliary systems.

### Firing teams, turrets, and the search for a jet interceptor

Mobile firing teams with machine-gun armament are still limited by range and by the speed of reaction to a faster target. For the protection of specific objects, automated turrets with machine-gun armament remain one of the working options, while anti-aircraft guns with fragmentation rounds, whose range can reach 2.5 km, also show results. In parallel, a search is underway for jet-powered interceptors to counter the new threat, but there is no serial solution yet due to the difficulty of scaling jet engines and the high cost of the finished product.

### Contradictory data

Assessments of the current effectiveness of interception means differ in the expert community. On the one hand, individual successful engagements of jet-powered targets by interceptor drones and anti-aircraft fire are recorded, which indicates that the existing arsenal is functional. On the other hand, a number of specialists emphasize that army aviation and multirotor interceptors are systemically unable to shoot down high-speed targets, while surface-to-air missile systems are limited by a shortage and the cost of missiles. In other words, there is no consensus on whether the current set of means is sufficient for sustained interception: some speak of exceptional but real successes, others — of a systemic lag of air defense behind the pace of attacks.

### Wave tactics and production rates

As the Center for Countering Disinformation previously reported, Russia launches jet-powered drones at Kyiv in waves. According to the CCD's assessment, the main goal of such tactics is to exhaust the air defense system and paralyze the capital's daily life through constant alerts. The enemy's industry, according to the same data, is operating at an accelerated pace, which is why jet-powered drones are launched against Ukraine almost straight from the assembly line, even without prolonged storage in warehouses.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Expert explained how the Defense Forces destroy jet-powered Shaheds](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ekspert-rozpoviv-k-sili-oboroni-nishchat-1788516738.html) - Первичный источник колонки Кирилла Люкова: скорость цели, ограничения перехватчиков и ЗРК, работа ПЗРК, турелей и зенитных установок, поиск реактивного перехватчика.
- [No speed: commander explained why it is hard to intercept jet-powered Shaheds with drones](https://www.unian.net/war/reaktivnye-shahedy-komandir-rasskazal-v-chem-slozhnost-borby-so-skorostnymi-dronami-13418502.html) - Подтверждает проблему скорости и сложности перехвата дронами; согласуется с тезисом об исключительных случаях поражения.
- ["Mopeds" are a thing of the past — Russia is switching Shaheds to jet propulsion. What this means and how ...](https://www.bbc.com/russian/articles/c8rn4x3n2rmo) - Контекст перехода на реактивную тягу и оценка угроз; детали тактики волн не подтверждены независимо.
- [Army aviation cannot shoot down jet-powered Shaheds: expert explained what needs to change](https://www.unian.net/weapons/reaktivnye-shahedy-pochemu-ih-stalo-slozhnee-sbivat-i-chego-ne-hvataet-ukraine-13475529.html) - Подтверждает проблему скорости и сложности перехвата дронами; согласуется с тезисом об исключительных случаях поражения.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Why are jet-powered Shaheds harder to shoot down than ordinary ones?
**A:** Because of their high speed (around 400–600 km/h), reaction time is sharply reduced, while classic interceptor drones are limited by peak speed and time aloft.

### Q: Which means are actually engaging jet-powered drones right now?
**A:** Interception during turns and maneuvers, man-portable air defense systems with thermal imaging sights, automated turrets with machine guns, and anti-aircraft guns with fragmentation rounds with a range of up to 2.5 km.

### Q: Is there already a serial jet-powered interceptor?
**A:** Not yet: no serial solution exists due to the difficulty of scaling jet engines and the high cost of the product, so interception automation is being developed.