Russia's drone attacks in the Ukraine War: an illustrative guide

Russia's drone attacks in the Ukraine War: an illustrative guide

Another front line is also reported as part of the continuing offensive of Russia in eastern Ukraine. Russia intensifies its nightly drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructures. Many experts emphasize that the Russian Federation significantly increases the production of these weapons in order to strengthen their attacks and overwhelm Ukraine's air defense.

The drone strategy of Russia

Although many of the drones used are technically not particularly progressive or fast, their comparatively low price of the Russian government enables over 700 drones to be started in a single night. This not only serves to outsmart the Ukrainian air defenders, but also to smash the morality of the civilian population. Russia acquired Iranian designs for Shahed attack drones and built a massive factory to produce thousands of these weapons every month. The constantly developing tactics force Ukraine to use more expensive ammunition and innovations, since cheaper defense measures are becoming less and less effective.

The change in warfare by drones

The rapid increase in drone attacks demonstrates how warfare has changed towards these unmanned autonomous vehicles. Both Ukraine and Russia are forced to improve their drone technologies in order to compensate for defects in their air forces. While this dynamic in this form does not apply to all western powers, the United States and its European NATO allies are actively working to improve their drone technologies in order to keep an advantage in future conflicts.

Resource -saving politics in drone attacks

According to the Ukrainian secret service sources, Russia currently produces more than 6,000 Shahed type drones per month. This is significantly cheaper than at the beginning of the war when the drones were still imported from Tehran. A Ukrainian intelligence officer reported: "In 2022, Russia paid an average of around $ 200,000 for such a drone. In 2025, this price fell to around $ 70,000 due to large production in the Alabuga drone factory in Tatarstan." Despite these cost reductions, the estimates vary greatly, so that the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) sets the prices for Shahed 136 drones between $ 20,000 and $ 50,000 per unit.

The effects on the civilian population

For many civilians, the constant threat of drone attacks is a nightmare. So the Kiev resident Bohdana Zhupanyna experienced a Russian drone attack on her apartment while she was highly pregnant. Her report makes it clear how much the stress of this situation influences the life of civilians. People in cities near Russian controlled areas also reported daily FPV drone missions, although even civilians are not protected against being attacked.

The current efficiency of the drone attacks

The impact rate of drones has doubled since April, with a success rate of near 20%. Experts emphasize that it is less important to see whether a single drone hits its goal, but rather on the cumulative effect of these weapons on the civilian population. According to the CSIS, Russia's tactics focus on putting constant pressure on the Ukrainian air defendants.

Setbacks and counterattacks

Ukraine also carries out counterattacks with FPV drones and attacks infrastructure and arms warehouse in Russia with long-distance roar. "Both sides are already looking for countermeasures for every technological development. The innovation cycle is so fast that we can observe adaptations to technological breakthroughs within a few weeks," explains Kateryna Stepanenko, analyst at the Institute for the Study of War.

View into the future of drone technology

Both Ukraine and Russia are currently working on the development of AI-controlled drones that can make decisions on the battlefield independently. According to reports, the Ukrainian side is already testing some of these drones, even if they are not yet used on a large scale. The development of such interceptors could help relieve the skills of the Ukrainian air defense and save some of their air defense missiles for use against rocket attacks.

The situation remains tense, while both sides are preparing for future developments in the field of drone technology.