Russia and Ukraine Intensify Long-Range Drone Use to Record Levels in September

According to an analysis by “Agenstvo,” the Russian and Ukrainian armies utilized a record number of drones in one month since the beginning of the 2022 full-scale invasion. Military reports indicate that September was the first month of the war when long-range attacks on the rear areas of both countries continued without interruption.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, 886 drones were destroyed over Russian territory during the month, compared with 751 in the previous month.

Meanwhile, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in September, Russian troops launched 1,331 Shahed kamikaze drones against Ukraine, significantly more than in any previous month of the war. In August, Ukrainian military officials reported attacks involving 790 drones, compared to 426 in July.

As noted by “Agenstvo,” September was the first calendar month since the start of the war in which drone attacks from both sides occurred daily.

Russian troops began using new modifications of the Shahed-136 (known in Russia as Geran-2), which are harder to destroy. These drones are equipped with 4G cellular modems, allowing them to maintain communication through the Ukrainian mobile network, and they have a black, likely radar-absorbing coating that makes them less visible overnight.

Additionally, these drones have started flying at higher altitudes to force Ukrainian air defense to use expensive missiles and aircraft to neutralize them.

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In mid-September, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to increase drone production for the Russian armed forces tenfold this year. According to Putin, 140,000 drones were supplied to the army in 2023.