Russia is preparing a new threat to Ukraine's air defense system
Russia is working on a new type of low-cost cruise missiles that could pose a serious challenge to Ukraine’s air defense. According to Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to the President of Ukraine known as “Flash,” these missiles can reach speeds of up to 750 km/h, and their widespread use could begin in as little as five or six months.
Russia is developing a new class of strike weapons that could become the next threat to Ukraine after the “Shahed” drones. These are small and relatively inexpensive cruise missiles. This was stated by Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to the President of Ukraine on the development of defense technologies, known by the call sign “Flash.” He discussed Russian developments during an appearance on “Radio NV.”
According to Beskrestnov, Russia understands that Ukraine is developing high-speed interceptors to combat jet-powered drones. Therefore, the Russian military is already considering its next move and creating new weapons systems. “The Russians also understand that we will soon have jet-powered interceptors and that we will secure Kyiv. But they are currently working on and betting on the next iteration—small, inexpensive cruise missiles,” said Beskrestnov.
Their speed can reach 750 km/h
Among the Russian developments, Flash named “Banderole,” “Dan-T,” “Dan-M,” and “Gerbera-5.” He noted that these weapons should no longer be viewed simply as just another version of jet-powered drones. According to Beskrestnov, these are, in fact, a new class of low-cost missiles. “Their speeds will be 500, 600, 700, and 750 km/h,” he stated.
In addition to speed, such missiles may have another important feature. They are capable of active maneuvering and flying at very low altitudes. This poses additional challenges for Ukrainian air defense. A low-flying target is harder to detect in time, and its maneuvers can complicate the work of interceptors.
Russia may have already ordered a large number of missiles
Beskrestnov stated that, according to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia has already contracted for a significant number of such weapons. He suggested that the scale of the Russian order could be comparable to orders for “Shahed” drones. That is precisely why, in his opinion, Ukraine needs to prepare for this new threat right now, rather than wait for the start of a massive deployment of such missiles.
“We need to start thinking right now about what will happen in five months. Jet-powered interceptors won’t work then, because the speed will be even higher,” Flash warned. In his assessment, Ukraine needs to use the next six months to develop its own low-cost interceptors. Specifically, this refers to solid-fuel missiles that could shoot down the new Russian cruise missiles. The main requirement for such weapons is that they must be fast enough and, at the same time, cheaper than expensive air defense systems.
Ukraine is already preparing for jet-powered “suicide drones”
At the same time, Ukraine is not waiting for the arrival of new Russian missiles without preparing. According to Beskrestnov, Ukrainian developers are currently working on high-speed interceptors to counter jet-powered “shahids.” There are currently at least three to five variants of such interceptors. However, they still need to be tested to determine how best to use them in combat conditions.
Russia, meanwhile, is already deploying several variants of jet-powered “Shaheds.” Beskrestnov identified the Shahed-seeker version as one of the most dangerous.
New “Shaheds” can locate targets on their own
According to Flash, the Shahed-seeker is equipped with a powerful optical and thermal imaging system. Such a drone can search for targets on its own. According to Beskrestnov, it is capable of detecting objects at a distance of about 6–7 kilometers or more. Once the drone locks onto a target, it can automatically navigate toward it. This makes this type of “Shahed” more dangerous, as it is more difficult to employ traditional electronic warfare measures against it during the final stage of flight.
“During the final guidance phase, electronic warfare measures become largely ineffective, since the drone navigates using optics,” explained Flash. Thus, Ukraine must simultaneously prepare for several changes in Russian tactics. While the Ukrainian military and developers are searching for solutions to counter these jet-powered “suicide drones,” Russia, according to Beskrestnov, is already working on the next generation of low-cost strike weapons. If these assessments prove accurate, the new cruise missiles could pose a serious challenge to Ukraine’s air defense in the coming months.
On September 15, a Russian drone strike was recorded in Kyiv’s Svyatoshynsky District. Black smoke is rising from the site.
In the Solomyanskyi district of the capital, a strike was recorded on the grounds of a garage cooperative.
