A drive circuit configured to drive a voltage-driven switching element (IGBT) having a control terminal, gate terminal, a first current carrying terminal, emitter terminal, and a second current carrying terminal, collector terminal, wherein the voltage driven switching element (IGBT) includes a gate-emitter capacitance (Cge) between the gate terminal and the emitter terminal and a gate-collector capacitance (Cgc) between the gate terminal and the collector terminal, the drive circuit comprising a first semiconductor switching element including a first terminal, which is connected to a gate signal source supplying a gate signal (Vin), a second terminal, which is connected to a power source (Vcc) for the drive circuit, and an output terminal (OUTPUT POINT), a first resistor connected with a first terminal to the output terminal (OUTPUT POINT) and with a second terminal to the gate terminal, a second switching element complementary to the first switching element and including a first terminal, which is connected to the gate signal source supplying the gate signal (Vin), a second terminal, which is connected to a reference electric potential (Vee) which is applied to the emitter terminal, and a further output terminal connected directly to the output terminal (OUTPUT POINT) configured, when transitioned to ON, to bring the output terminal (OUTPUT POINT) to said reference electric potential (Vee) which is applied to the emitter terminal, a third switching element complementary to the first switching element and configured, when transitioned to ON, to connect the second terminal of the first resistor to the reference electric potential (Vee), wherein a terminal of the third switching element is connected to the gate signal source supplying the gate signal (Vin), and a capacitive element (Cex, D) connected to the power source terminal and the gate terminal, wherein the drive circuit is configured to transition the first switching element to OFF and the second switching element and third switching element to ON due to change in the gate signal (Vin) from high level (Hi) to low level (Lo) in order to cause the voltage-driven element (IGBT) transitioning from ON to OFF to thereby discharge the gate-emitter capacitance (Cge) toward the reference electric potential (Vee), wherein in response to the first switching element being transitioned to ON while the second switching element and third switching element being transitioned to OFF due to change in the gate signal (Vin) from low level (Lo) to high level (Hi), the drive circuit is adapted to supply an electric charge to the gate-emitter capacitance (Cge) from the power source (Vcc) and the capacitive element (Cex) to thereby raise a gate voltage (Vge) of the voltage-driven switching element (IGBT), wherein upon the gate voltage (Vge) exceeding a first threshold value, the voltage driven switching element (IGBT) starts transitioning from OFF to ON such that a collector-emitter voltage (Vce) starts to drop while a collector current (Ic) starts to raise, and the drive circuit is adapted to transiently supply an electric charge from the power source (Vcc) to the gate-emitter capacitance (Cge) via the capacitive element (Cex) in order to suppress reduction of the gate voltage (Vge), when the collector current (Ic) reaches a second threshold value and an electric charge accumulated in the gate-emitter capacitance (Cge) is discharged to the gate-collector capacitance (Cgc).