A commander of Ukraine’s air defense forces said the country’s current interceptor drones are ineffective against the new generation of Russian jet‑powered drones, whose high speed drains the interceptors’ batteries before they can reach the target. The newer “Gran” family drones fly at over 300 km/h, and reliable interception requires the interceptor to be at least 25% faster than the target, a margin often not met. Statistics show Russia has deployed about 1,400 Gran‑type jet drones from the start of 2026 to mid‑June, compared with only 180 in the whole of 2025. Ukrainian armed forces warn that Russia aims to make jet drones account for roughly 50% of its total drone attacks, with models like Gran‑3 capable of speeds between 350 and 550 km/h.