For the first time since the full-scale invasion, Russia has been launching daily drone attacks on cities and towns across Ukraine for an entire month. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, 1,339 Shahed-type kamikaze drones were used in September, with 1,107 being shot down and some others being jammed or flying into Russian or Belarusian airspace. Around 45 drones are unaccounted for. This trend has continued into October, with 32 drones targeting Ukraine on Oct. 1, 105 on Oct. 2, and 19 on Oct. 3. Reports of drones and air raid sirens have already been registered on Oct. 4.
On Sept. 6, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal warned that Moscow was planning new mass aerial strikes targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. This follows a similar campaign of attacks in the spring, which caused a serious energy deficit and rolling blackouts across the country.
So far, the damage and casualties caused by the September attacks have been relatively limited. However, experts warn against assuming that Russia’s drone attacks are ineffective. Instead, they believe that these attacks are part of a larger campaign to weaken and locate Ukraine’s air defenses in preparation for larger attacks in the near future.
Kyiv has been one of the main targets for Russian drones, and on Oct. 3, the Kyiv City Military Administration shared tactics used in the September attacks on Telegram. These attacks typically occur at night and involve groups of Shahed drones flying at various heights and from different directions.
The Kyiv City Military Administration stated that the capital has been the primary target for Russian forces since the start of the full-scale invasion. They described the use of attack drones as a criminal tactic that violates international humanitarian law, as it aims to destroy the city, its infrastructure, and residential buildings.
The Shahed is an Iranian-designed, one-way, kamikaze attack drone that measures 3.5 meters in length and has a wingspan of 2.5 meters. Its range varies from 1,000 to 2,500 kilometers, and it can reach a maximum speed of 185 kilometers per hour. The drone weighs around 200 kilograms.
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