Russian drone attacks appear to be overwhelming Ukraine's besieged air defenses with their highest hit rates since the war began, it was reported Monday.
Moscow's military has used "swarm" tactics, with drones striking targets at three times the typical rate in recent months, Financial Times reported, citing official data.
Roughly 15% of Iranian-designed drones, manufactured in Russia, penetrated defenses on average between April and June. That was up from only 5% during the previous three months.
The war began in February 2022 when, in an unprovoked attack, Russia invaded Ukraine.
The increased effectiveness of the slow-moving Shaheds — drones that Russians have renamed Gerans — is due to modifications that have allowed them to fly faster and beyond the range of Ukrainian truck-mounted machine guns, Financial Times reported.
"The problem is not [that] the Ukraine air defense is getting worse. Instead, what we see is that new swarming tactics and drones are now flying in higher altitude, [which] makes them more effective," according to Yasir Atalan, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"The increase in sheer size in launches saturates the defense systems which increases the hit rate."
The Ukrainian air force has used electronic warfare to jam the drones' GPS guidance systems, and anti-aircraft guns including the advanced German Oerlikon Skynex, an advanced air defense cannon.
Russia on Saturday launched hundreds of drones, killing at least one person, part of a stepped-up bombing campaign that has dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the war.
Then a heavy assault on Sunday night into Monday morning included 426 Shahed style attack drones, Ukraine's air force reported.
Russia has been intensifying its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. It now often batters Ukraine with more drones in a single night than it did during some entire months in 2024, and analysts say the barrages are likely to escalate. On July 8, Russia unleashed more than 700 drones — a record.
President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are considering a deal that involves Washington buying battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv purchasing weapons from the U.S., Zelenskyy told the New York Post.
Zelenskyy said his latest talks with Trump focused on a deal that would help each country bolster its aerial technology.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this story.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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