Russian drone assault intensifies over Ukraine, defences hold
After a few days of limited activity, the Russians resumed the extensive deployment of Shahed drones. Over the period of 11th to 12th May, more than 200 drones flew over Ukraine. Here, we explore the background and consequences of these rudimentary unmanned attacks.
On the 11th and 12th of May, Ukraine was targeted by 108 Russian Shahed drones and others, totalling 216 drones. This marks a significant escalation in attack intensity compared to, for instance, 31 units on the 8th of May, 2025.
It is noteworthy that Ukrainians successfully neutralised 101 and 85 units on the 11th and 12th of May, respectively, using kinetic measures and electronic warfare systems. Despite this, some drones struck targets in the regions of Sumy, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, and Zhytomyr.
Shahed drones — Russian swarming weapon not so cheap after all
Shahed drones are the most frequently used weapon by the Russians, but they come in various versions. The latest models are equipped with turbojet engines and an advanced guidance system exceeding a combination of satellite and inertial navigation. However, their cost exceeds one million US dollars each.
More commonly employed are the designs from the Shahed-136 family, which are basic structures built in a delta wing configuration, about 3.4 metres in length and a wingspan of around 2.4 metres, with two vertical stabilisers at the ends.
These drones were initially expected to cost tens of thousands of US dollars when purchased from Iran, but the demand for parts for production and the Russian stipulations for licensed domestic production have increased the unit cost to hundreds of thousands of US dollars. Furthermore, part of the payments for Iranian drones was reportedly made by Russia in gold.
Shahed drones — Russian harassing weapon
These drones weigh about 200 kilograms, with around 50 kilograms accounting for the warhead, and the rest comprising, among other things, fuel reserves for the 50 horsepower Chinese boxer engine, a replica of the German LIMBACH L550 E engine. The fuel supply enables approximately 2,500 kilometres of flight.
The guidance system of these drones is basic and only allows them to follow a pre-programmed route. It's important to note that these drones are unable to detect and avoid obstacles, so if an obstacle is in their path, they will crash into it. The most infamous incident involved a collision with the Chernobyl Arch.
The accuracy of its guidance is suboptimal and generally allows for hitting targets roughly the size of a neighbourhood. This type of weapon is rarely used against military targets and is typically more suited for intimidation purposes, for instance, cities, or as a supplement to other offensive measures, such as cruise missiles.
Over time, the Russians have made adjustments to the Shaheds by, for example, painting them black or adding SIM card routers that allow them to ascertain the location where a drone was shot down. This modification aids in mapping the deployment and effectiveness of Ukrainian anti-drone defences, which is advantageous in planning future assaults.
The Russians have learned to synchronise attacks so that the Shahed drones, travelling at speeds of up to 180 kilometres per hour, converge over the target alongside cruise missiles, complicating the defence for Ukrainians. In such scenarios, there's a possibility that defences, such as a Gepard protecting a particular region, may not succeed in intercepting all the incoming threats in time.
In light of this, Ukrainians have developed a network of microphones to detect drones early. Subsequently, fighter jets and intervention groups on pickups equipped with machine guns are dispatched to the anticipated flight paths.
