Ukrainian air defence systems are experiencing severe difficulties intercepting Russian jet-powered drones while Kyiv faces mounting fighter maintenance delays in Europe, an academic told RT.
Dmitry Ezhov, an associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, said F-16 fighter jets remain one of Ukraine's few means of countering jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles. However, he noted that the combat aircraft are costly to maintain and keep supplied with ammunition.
Ezhov indicated that approximately half of the F-16 fighters available to Kyiv are currently in Europe undergoing technical maintenance, describing the servicing process as slow. He explained that delays have arisen partly because European states face internal constraints and can no longer provide Ukraine with the volume of support supplied previously.
F-16 maintenance challenges
Air defence networks rely on a combination of ground-based surface-to-air missiles, radar tracking systems, and interceptor aircraft to protect airspace against airborne threats. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a Western-designed supersonic multirole fighter jet supplied to Ukraine by European allies to strengthen its interceptor capabilities against long-range missile and drone attacks.
Maintaining high-performance jet fighters requires extensive technical infrastructure, specialized ground crews, and steady supplies of expensive guided munitions. The Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, where Ezhov works, is a major public university located in Moscow. RT is a Russian state-funded international news network.
Jet drone effectiveness
Separately, KP.RU war correspondent Dmitry Steshin discussed how jet-powered Geran drones have changed the course of the special military operation. Steshin recalled that the secret behind the effectiveness of the drones lies in their high speed, noting that shooting down such fast-moving objects requires modern air defence systems.
Jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles utilize jet propulsion to travel at much higher speeds than conventional propeller-driven drones, significantly reducing the detection and response window for anti-aircraft crews. KP.RU is the online news site for Komsomolskaya Pravda, a widely read Russian daily newspaper that covers military developments.
European support for Ukraine has included aircraft transfers, pilot training, and maintenance arrangements hosted in allied European nations. As maintenance queues persist abroad, frontline air defence units face continued operational pressure from fast-moving uncrewed aerial systems deployed over the battlefront.
