In September, October, and November, Russia launched more than 6,000 drones at Ukraine, writes the Wall Street Journal, based on daily data from the Ukrainian Air Force Command. This is three times more than in the previous three months and four times more than in the same autumn months of 2023.
One of Moscow's new tactics is the flights of entire fleets of cheap decoy drones to weaken Ukraine's air defense. The decoys stretch Ukraine's defenses and deplete already scarce air defense ammunition. Additionally, sometimes they can capture and transmit data about Ukrainian positions. The Russian army also uses thermobaric warheads and radar-evading missiles, the publication notes.
According to the obtained data, Ukraine's ability to intercept missiles improved after a decline earlier this year. In October, 93% of all drones were intercepted or lost, while ballistic and hypersonic missiles were just over 8%.
Ukraine uses electronic jamming to throw Russian drones off course, while the Russian version of Iranian Shahed drones, produced at a plant in Tatarstan, is of lower quality. According to a Ukrainian official, Russia can produce 1,200 such drones a month. However, the Russian version of the Shahed uses different electronic components than the Iranian original, the official said.
The increased shelling, which has resulted in civilian casualties and disrupted Ukraine's power grids, threatens to further undermine the morale of Ukrainians as Russia captures more territories in the east of the country. But they also demonstrate Russia's growing reliance on allies as it copies Iranian drones and uses North Korean missiles.
Ukrainians must be flexible and respond instantly to changes in Russian tactics, Valeriy Romanenko, a former Ukrainian air defense officer and researcher at Kyiv National Aviation University, told the WSJ. "Whoever finds a solution faster will win the battle for the sky," he believes.
Photo: Wall Street Journal