Why are Russian drones getting through Ukraine's air defences, according to the BBC's Vitaly Shevchenko?

Vitaly Shevchenko, chief analyst at BBC Monitoring, said it is a mix of better Russian technology and Ukraine struggling to keep up. Russia has begun using jet-powered Shahed drones, which he believes hit the Dnipro station platform, and Ukraine intercepts only around half to 60% of them. Russia is also fielding Banderol loitering missiles, a weapon between a drone and a missile, and Ukraine's countermeasures take time to develop.

• A Banderol hit an apartment block in Kremenchuk on the same day, killing two people.
• Rail is a prime target because Ukraine is a large country where many people rely on trains rather than cars.
• Two 15-year-old girls were killed in a separate strike on Chernihiv, north of Kyiv.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Global News Podcast (2026-10-29). Read the whole episode summary →

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