Russia Shifts Drone Attack Tactics: An Expert Analysis of New Strategies in Aggression
In the ongoing military developments, Russia is actively modifying its approach to deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with the intent to complicate Ukraine’s air defense responses and to amplify the destructive impact of its strikes. Experts, including Valeriy Yakovenko, co-founder of DroneUA and an authority in drone technology, observe a significant increase in both the frequency and intensity of these attacks. These assaults increasingly involve a combination of various munitions such as drones, missiles, and guided aerial bombs, often used together within a single operation to maximize damage and exhaust Ukrainian air defenses. Yakovenko highlights that Russian forces are gradually transitioning from isolated drone strikes to large-scale group attacks targeting cities and populated areas. This tactic is aimed not only at causing physical destruction but also at psychological warfare, creating an atmosphere of fear and destabilization among civilians. The group launches of drones are a deliberate tactic to terrorize, aiming to produce maximum psychological and physical disruption. Moreover, Russian military strategists are intensifying their assault methods by deploying coordinated drone groups to destabilize Ukrainian infrastructure and psyche, forcing Ukrainian defense resources to be deployed more exhaustively per attack. Ukraine is actively working on strengthening its air defense capabilities, including establishing new units equipped with intercepting drones such as the Shahed and other aerial defense systems, to counter these evolving threats.