Russia’s jet-powered drones overwhelm Ukraine, killing dozens

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Russian air attacks have sharply increased civilian deaths in Ukraine as the war continues to stall on parts of the front. The article says 38 people were killed in the village of Myla on August 29 in a drone attack on an ammunition depot, and 12 more died in strikes across the country on September 1. It links the rise in casualties to Russia’s expanding use of jet-powered drones, which Ukrainian officials say are harder to intercept than older propeller-driven models.

The report, published September 4, says Ukraine’s air force estimates Russia launched about 2,800 jet-powered drones in August, up from roughly 1,500 in July. Ukrainian spokesman Yurii Ihnat said interception rates are lower for the jet-powered type, while Al Jazeera noted it could not independently verify the figures provided by either side.

The article also describes a wider battlefield picture in which Russian territorial gains have slowed while losses remain high, according to Ukrainian claims. It says fighting around Kostiantynivka in eastern Donetsk has absorbed Russian manpower, while Ukraine has focused some of its own strikes on Russian air defenses, drone sites and energy infrastructure.

Al Jazeera adds that Ukrainian attacks on refineries and oil terminals have disrupted Russian fuel supplies and exports, contributing to shortages and price pressure inside Russia and in occupied Crimea. The piece frames both sides’ military and economic pressure as part of a prolonged war of attrition.