Military bloggers claim that a jet Shahed-238 first ever shot down over Ukraine

Reports are appearing online that the Defense Forces of Ukraine have probably shot down the first Iranian-made Shahed-238 attack drone. It differs from the previous Shaheds by the presence of a jet engine.

This follows from a statement by some military bloggers and observers.

On the air of the national telethon, Colonel and spokesperson for the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Yurii Ihnat, said that the Air Force does not confirm the destruction of the jet version of the Iranian kamikaze drones.

"Whoever found it, let him confirm, show and tell. We have already discussed this topic, that Iran showed the Shahed-238, black in color. After this demonstration, our UAVs began to be repainted black, and the occupiers," Ihnat said.

Telegram channel Colonel Of The General Staff published photos of fragments of the drone. It is claimed that they belong to the first Shahed-238 shot down over Ukraine.

According to the author of the channel, the first version of Shaheds with a gasoline engine had the index M. The new drone has the index MJ (Jet — jet).

He also published photos of fragments of the downed Shahed-238.

The Telegram channel About Communication By Serhii Flash reported that the Shahed jet was moving at a speed of more than 500 kilometers per hour.

The author of the channel noted the speed with which the Iranian drone ended up in the service of the russian army of occupation.

It should be noted that Iran, which is the developer of Shaheds, presented a reactive version of the kamikaze drone in 2023.

The author of the channel writes that the Chinese jet engine was the only innovation of the Shahed-238 drone. The rest of its components are the same as in the Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 drones.

"What is important to understand now? The Shaheds can fly all over the country on a jet engine. There were doubts before... They will reach us faster; they will also maneuver. Ukrainians should know that, in addition to the sound of a moped in the sky, there is now the sound of an airplane ", the message reads.

The author of the channel also added that mobile air defense groups armed with non-missile weapons allegedly became useless against the Shahed-238.

They can be destroyed only with the help of portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS) or large air defense systems.

The American publication The War Zone analyzed photos of the wreckage of Shahed-238. According to experts, the images show a fragment of the upper air intake, a small jet turbine, and a control unit.

The publication also concluded that the letter J in the index of the new Shahed could mean that it is a jet-powered UAV.

In addition, The War Zone agrees that the new kamikaze drones will become a more difficult target for the Ukrainian air defense system. Probably, now the Ukrainian military will have to spend expensive missiles for air defense systems to shoot down the Shahed-238.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, in November 2023, updated versions of Shahed-type drones were shown in Iran. Shahed-238 was also among them.

Yurii Ihnat named the features of the Shahed-238 kamikaze drone, which make it more difficult to detect and destroy.