Russia launches large-scale waves of faster, jet-powered Shahed drones into Ukraine, with recent reports describing sharp increases in volume over days and within a month. The Ukrainian air force and other outlets say the attacks include high-speed drones that are used during daytime strikes, leading to prolonged air-raid alerts in multiple locations.
Ukraine says the newer Shahed variants cruise significantly faster than earlier piston-engine models, with reported speeds around 200–250 mph versus about 115 mph previously. That speed difference affects interception, as most Ukrainian interceptor drones are described as struggling to catch the faster targets. Business Insider reports a fivefold surge in such attacks over a single month, while The Guardian describes Russia firing roughly 800 jet-powered drones into Ukraine over four days.
Across outlets, the core details match: Russia uses jet-powered Shahed drones at higher rates and at higher speeds, and Ukraine faces increased difficulty defending against sustained waves. The reporting mainly differs in the specific time windows and totals cited for the recent spike in attacks.
