Russian forces struck a train platform at Dnipro’s main railway station in central Ukraine last week, killing at least 15 people and wounding at least 14 others. Russia targeted the train with its potent new weapon, a jet-powered drone.
For almost five years, Russia has relied on the Shahed, a cheap Iranian-designed attack drone, to pound Ukrainian cities night after night. But Ukraine learned to fight the original version, often bringing it down with small, inexpensive interceptor drones. The jet-powered model flies roughly twice as fast. Ukraine has yet to develop effective countermeasures against it. These drones have become Russia’s No. 1 choice for targeting Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure. Ukraine says that in October, Russia launched more than 4,000 of these drones against Ukraine. That compares with about 350 in June.
