Russia has altered its drone strike tactics against Ukraine, employing larger formations and higher-altitude approaches in recent attacks on major cities.
The adjustment marks a renewed effort by Moscow to overcome Ukraine’s air defenses and strain its missile interceptor supplies.
Over the past several weeks, Russian Shahed-136 drones, widely used in strikes across Ukraine, have begun flying at altitudes of 2,000 to 2,500 meters, forming groups of up to 20 drones for simultaneous attacks on urban targets, Ukrainian military sources report.
The shift in altitude places the drones beyond the effective reach of mobile air defense units equipped with anti-aircraft guns and small missile systems.
Once in position, the drones execute steep dives toward their intended targets, reaching speeds of up to 90 meters per second. This dive-bombing tactic complicates interception efforts, often forcing Ukrainian air defenses to rely on more expensive and scarce interceptor missiles from Western systems like Germany’s IRIS-T or the U.S.-supplied Patriot.
Compounding the threat, Ukrainian defense sources also report the use of reconnaissance variants of the Shahed drone equipped with optical navigation systems. These drones are believed to be filming strike results in real time and potentially targeting emergency responders arriving at the scene of earlier attacks.
Western-supplied air defenses have proven effective in countering missile threats, but the persistent use of inexpensive drones continues to challenge Ukraine’s layered defense strategy.
As Russian forces adapt their methods, Ukraine has called on international partners for increased supplies of interceptor missiles and counter-drone systems to safeguard its urban centers.