Russia has started using jet-propelled Shaheds in its war on Ukraine, Militarnyi says. Russia used at least eight of these Geran-3 drones during the 30 July attack in that strike from the north.

Jet-propelled Shaheds appear in Russian strikes

Militarnyi reports that Russian forces used jet-propelled Shaheds for the first time in large numbers on 30 July. These Geran-3 drones flew together with regular Shaheds and decoy drones in a combined night strike. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched the air assault from the north and east. Airspace monitoring channels confirm missiles, Shaheds, decoys, and jet-propelled drones in that wave.

Ukrainian air defenses fought back with aviation, missile troops, electronic warfare and mobile fire teams. They downed 51 drones out of 78 launched that night. Twenty-seven drones hit seven locations. Debris from destroyed drones fell in two other locations.

The Air Force did not report whether any of Geran-3s were shot down. 

Details of the Geran-3 model

Russian sources cited by Militarnyi describe the Geran-3. It is 3.5 meters long and has a 3 meter wingspan. It climbs to 9.1 kilometers and can fly for two hours. It has a takeoff weight of 380 kilograms, much more than the 250 kilograms of the Shahed-136, designated by Russia as Geran-2.

Growing danger from jet-propelled Shaheds

Militarnyi notes that Russian forces may have used Geran-3 drones before in strikes on Kyiv. Their use now grows more frequent and organized. These jet-propelled Shaheds are faster and heavier than older models. They add more danger to Russian mixed strikes that combine regilar Shaheds and decoys.

Ukrainian forces used long-range precision fire to degrade Russia’s ability to monitor and defend Belgorod Oblast’s airspace. The Ukrainian General Staff shared footage of the strike, which reportedly hit three key components of Russia’s air defense grid on 20 July. The targeted equipment included an S-300P surface-to-air missile launcher and two radars.

Ukrainian strike hits missile and radar systems near the border

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine says Ukrainians successfully struck a Russian S-300P surface-to-air missile launcher. The report stated that this significantly reduced Russia’s long-range air defense coverage in the region. The General Staff says the attack also hit a Nebo-M radar system. Additionally, the General Staff said that the attack degraded operational capacity of a nearby 5N66M “Big Bird” over-the-horizon radar station.

The General Staff therefore stated that “such coordinated strikes represent a substantial blow to the Russian Federation’s air defense network, diminishing its ability to protect its forces and infrastructure, and enabling continued Ukrainian operations.”

The General Staff did not specify which weapons were used in the attack. A short video clip released with the announcement showed two relatively small explosions, suggesting the use of a GMLRS rockets.

Strike supports Ukrainian military efforts to reduce Russian offensive capability

The General Staff emphasized that weakening these systems directly supports efforts “to reduce Russia’s capacity to wage its war of aggression and its continued targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure inside of Ukraine.”

“The Defense Forces will persist in conducting operations to undermine the critical systems and enablers supporting Russia’s war machine,” the General Staff stated.

A Ukrainian drone strike on Russian air defenses has disabled multiple radar systems and surface-to-air missile launchers in the Donetsk sector, eastern Ukraine, Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) reported. The latest footage released by HUR shows their elite Prymary (“Ghosts”) unit destroying key Russian military hardware during precision drone attacks in the occupied part of the oblast.

Prymary strikes radar systems and S-300V launchers near occupied Donetsk

HUR released video footage of the operation on its official YouTube channel, showing accurate drone strikes on two S-300V launchers and five radar systems, supporting these launchers and other Russian air defense assets. The S-300V is primarily designed to intercept operational-tactical missiles and serves as a key element of Russia’s anti-missile defense network. However, Russian forces have been also using such launchers in a secondary role — to fire on ground targets, including residential areas in Ukrainian cities.

According to the description accompanying the HUR video, Prymary fighters continue to “systematically weaken Russian air defense — now in the Donetsk direction.” The agency confirmed the destruction of:

• three 48Ya6-K1 Podlyot radar stations, designed to detect targets at low and extremely low altitudes in complex electronic warfare conditions;
• two Niobiy-SV radar stations, used to track aerial targets at medium and high altitudes at distances of up to 200–300 kilometers;
• two S-300V launchers, part of a surface-to-air missile system primarily used to intercept operational-tactical missiles, and also employed by Russian forces in a secondary ground-strike role;
• and one P-18 radar station, a Soviet-era two-coordinate system capable of determining only azimuth and distance, but not altitude.

Official footage shows direct drone hits on Russian systems

The video published by HUR shows direct drone strikes on the listed radar systems and missile launchers. However, the FPV footage cuts off at the moment of impact, and the aftermath is not shown. Still, the accuracy of the strikes indicates that the targeted Russian air defense assets were at least damaged, if not destroyed. 

Last night, Russia resumed full-scale aerial strikes after several quieter days, launching almost 350 drones and 35 missiles in one night. Ukraine intercepted more than 200 Russian drones and missiles overnight, but dozens still broke through, hitting homes, schools, and civilian infrastructure in several regions, according to local authorities. The Russian drone assault killed a woman in Odesa and injured six more civilians, including a child. Meanwhile, Russian forces continued their “human safari” in Kherson, injuring two civilian men with a small drone.

Russia overwhelms air defenses with 379 aerial weapons

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched a total of 379 aerial weapons overnight on 18–19 July. The strike included 344 Shahed-type drones and decoys, 12 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, eight Iskander-K cruise missiles, and 15 Kh-101 cruise missiles. Launches came from multiple directions: Bryansk, Kursk, Orel, Millerovo, Shatalovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, occupied Crimea, and from Russian aircraft over Saratov Oblast.

Despite the heavy interception effort, five missiles and 30 drones struck civilian and infrastructure targets in 12 locations, while drone debris fell and caused additional damage in at least seven more, the AF says.

Odesa drone strike kills woman, injures six

In Odesa, over 20 Shahed drones approached from different directions, local authorities reported. One hit a nine-story residential building, sparking a fire that engulfed the upper floors. Emergency services rescued five people from the building. One of the rescued victims, a woman, died from her injuries.

In total, the attack injured six civilians, including a child. Prosecutors opened a war crimes case under Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code. 

Pavlohrad hit by most massive strike since invasion

In Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russian forces launched over 100 drones and missiles at the city. Officials described it as the most massive strike on Pavlohrad to date. Explosions damaged a fire station, multiple industrial sites, a school, and a five-story residential building.

Regional head Serhii Lysak later confirmed that nine apartment buildings, a private home, and an educational facility were damaged. No injuries were reported.

Kyiv rooftop struck, but no casualties

In Kyiv, falling debris from an intercepted drone damaged the roof of a residential building in the Darniytskyi district. The Kyiv Military Administration reported no fire or injuries.

In Kyiv Oblast, the air defenders intercepted more than 20 drones. In the Vyshhorod district, a civilian car was damaged. No casualties were reported.

Shostka bombed with drones and guided munitions

In Sumy Oblast, Shostka came under attack for nearly four hours overnight, injuring locals. In the morning, Russian forces added guided air-dropped bombs to the assault. Six bomb strikes were confirmed on the Shostka community.

Mayor Mykola Noha confirmed infrastructure destruction, with damage to two apartment buildings and four private homes. No injuries were reported.

Infrastructure hit in Chernihiv Oblast

In Chernihiv Oblast, Shahed drone strikes damaged infrastructure in Nizhyn and the village of Vypovziv. Local officials confirmed three direct drone hits. No casualties were reported.

Blast shakes Zaporizhzhia

Suspilne reported an explosion, heard in several districts of Zaporizhzhia this morning. 

Russia’s “human safari” targets civilians in Kherson

Separate from the mass long-range drone and missile strike, a Russian drone deliberately attacked a private home in Kherson’s Korabelnyi district around 04:00. Two civilian men, aged 28 and 34, were wounded and hospitalized in moderate condition.

Last night’s Russian drone strike, including 35 one-way attack and decoy drones, killed a railway worker and injured several more civilians in three Ukrainian regions as the Shahed drones hit homes and infrastructure across three oblasts. 

Ukrainian air defenses intercept 11 drones, but 18 strike targets

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Moscow’s forces launched 35 unmanned aerial vehicles, including 29 Shaheds and multiple decoy drones, from the directions of Russia’s Millerovo and Primorsko-Akhtarsk. The attack began around 21:30 on 17 July and continued into the early hours of 18 July.

Air defense units reportedly destroyed 11 drones over Ukraine’s northern and eastern regions. Six decoy drones disappeared from radars or were suppressed by electronic warfare.

Railway worker killed in Dnipropetrovsk oblast

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a Russian drone strike kills a railway worker and injures two others. The head of the oblast administration, Serhii Lysak, confirmed that drones hit communities in Pavlohrad and Synelnykove districts. A 52-year-old man was killed in the Verbkivska and Bohdanivska areas, and two men aged 38 and 40 were wounded. A fire broke out at a local transport facility, which was later extinguished.

Ukrzaliznytsia added that a drone also struck an electric locomotive. The train operator was killed, and his assistant was wounded but remains in stable condition.

Three Shahed drones were downed over the oblast by Ukrainian air defenses.

According to Lysak, a small FPV kamikaze drone also targeted Nikopol. The aftermath is still under investigation.

Elderly man injured in Zaporizhzhia oblast

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russian drones struck Andriivka village in the Zaporizhzhia district. According to oblast head Ivan Fedorov, nine Shahed drones hit the area, injuring a 79-year-old man. Fires erupted at non-residential buildings and several structures were destroyed.

Four civilians wounded in Kharkiv oblast

In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian drones targeted the city of Chuhuiv. Mayor Halyna Minaieva reported that four civilians were wounded. The strike damaged residential buildings, a family doctor’s office, and an educational institution.

Ukraine is preparing to defend against Russia’s 1000 daily drones by mass-producing interceptor drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the technology is already proven—and now Kyiv is calling on international partners to help scale it up.

Russia plans mass drone attacks to destabilize Ukraine

During a press conference in Rome on 10 July, President Zelenskyy confirmed that Russia plans to launch 700 to 1,000 drones per day in an effort to pressure Ukrainian cities and exhaust the country’s defenses.

“They want to destabilize our society through long-lasting air raids,” Zelenskyy warned.

The President added that Ukraine “will respond,” stating:

“We will shoot down everything.”

Ukraine already has the tech—but needs the money

Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine’s scientists and engineers have developed effective interceptor drones capable of countering the Iranian-designed Shahed drones commonly used by Russia.

“We have found a solution as a country,” Zelenskyy said. “Scientists and engineers have found a solution. This is the key. We need finances. And we will raise it.”

The President emphasized that with adequate funding, Ukraine could mass-produce these drones and deploy them across the front.

Interceptors show better results than “Shahed cowboys”

Recently, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported that the new interceptor drones already demonstrate a 70% success rate—nearly double the effectiveness of mobile fire teams.

However, Syrskyi noted that the interceptors still lack radar systems, and consistency is not yet guaranteed. Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces stated the drones show good results, but “it is too early to talk about consistency.”

Unmanned Systems Commander Robert “Magyar” Brovdi recently cautioned about Russia’s 1000 daily drones in the near future: he said, Moscow may soon be capable of deploying more than 1,000 Shaheds per day.