Ukrainian robotic turrets are now taking down Russian jet drones, Air Force says

How Ukraine uses turrets

According to Ihnat, robotic turrets are already being installed on bridges. The Air Force spokesperson urged people not to publish photos of Gepard anti-aircraft systems. He said that after seeing such photos, Russians attack bridges, making them a so-called "legitimate target." Ukraine is forced to deploy air defense systems in a way that maximizes the number of enemy drones shot down, Ihnat added.

The Air Force spokesperson also discussed intercepting jet-powered Geran-5 drones.

"Jet-powered Geran-5 drones are already being shot down. I was skeptical about how this could be possible, but the use of innovative technologies, AI, the elimination of human error, technical calculations, and machine vision has made it possible," Ihnat said.

At the same time, the spokesperson stressed that these turrets have a limited operating range because a machine gun is currently their primary means of interception.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a briefing with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on October 4 that turrets had begun to be installed in Kyiv. According to him, more than 12 turrets have already been installed in the capital.

He stressed that protection requires a combined approach, while there are still too few interceptor drones. Zelenskyy also suggested that Russia would focus not on the number of drones but on their quality and would use jet-powered drones more extensively.

Also, Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser on defense technology development, said 12 automatic turrets had been installed in Kyiv to shoot down jet-powered Shaheds. According to him, Ukraine developed the systems, with artificial intelligence operating the machine guns. More of these systems are planned for installation.