For Ukrainians nationwide, a stark and solemn nightly ritual has become the norm more than three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Due to the ever-increasing range of Moscow’s aerial weapons, citizens of Kyiv and other large cities flee to the relative safety of bomb shelters and metro stations as night falls. Ukrainians have spent more time underground this summer than at any other time since the conflict started, a time when strikes have alarmingly increased.
The attacks have continued at an unrelenting pace since the first bombardments began early on February 24, 2022, when Russian troops crossed Ukraine’s borders. However, July saw an unheard-of increase, setting a record for the sheer number of projectiles fired. Through July, Russia launched a record 6,443 drones and missiles into Ukraine, according to detailed data released by the Ukrainian air force.
This astounding total surpasses June’s figures by about 13 percent, making it the highest monthly total documented thus far in the war. According to ABC News’ detailed examination of Ukrainian air force data, 6,245 attack and decoy drones were launched into the nation in July, or about 201 per day on average. At the same time, Russia fired 198 missiles, averaging more than six a day, highlighting the ongoing ferocity of the air campaign.
The scale and complexity of Russia’s drone and missile barrages have consistently expanded throughout the conflict. A central player in Moscow’s nocturnal harassment of Ukrainian cities and vital infrastructure has been the Iranian-designed Shahed strike drone. Enthusiastically adopted by the Russian military and subsequently rebranded as the Geran, these unmanned aerial vehicles have become the veritable workhorse of the ongoing assault.
These Shahed and Geran variants have become known to many Ukrainians as “flying mopeds,” a term derived from their unique and instantly identifiable buzzing sound. Beyond their distinctive sound, these drones have come to represent the ongoing Russian threat and serve as a continual reminder of the dangers that can be found in the night sky.
A somber milestone had already been reached in June, just before July’s record-breaking figures. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the month saw the greatest number of civilian deaths in Ukraine in over three years. The terrible death toll, which included 1,343 injuries and 232 fatalities, demonstrated the lethal effectiveness of these airstrikes.
Although Ukraine’s air force provides a daily count of Russian drone and missile incursions, neither Russia nor Ukraine regularly release comprehensive data outlining the entire extent of their respective strike campaigns. Russia’s Defense Ministry, on the other hand, mostly releases statistics about Ukrainian drones that were successfully shot down over its territory.
Military equipment: Shahed drones
Categories: Aircraft manufactured in Iran, All Wikipedia articles written in Canadian English, All articles with unsourced statements, Articles containing Russian-language text, Articles with short description, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2025, CS1 Czech-language sources (cs), CS1 Ukrainian-language sources (uk), Iranian military aircraft, Loitering munitions, Military equipment of Iran, Post–Cold War military equipment of Iran, Shahed aircraft, Short description is different from Wikidata, Unmanned aerial vehicles, Unmanned aerial vehicles of Iran, Use Canadian English from October 2023, Use dmy dates from October 2023, Weapons of Iran
Summary: Shahed drones are Iranian unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) and loitering munitions (exploding kamikaze drones) developed by Shahed Aviation Industries. Shahed drones are manufactured both in Iran and in Russia, with the Russian variant building upon Iranian plans. Both variants were deployed by Russian forces against Ukraine during the Russian invasion.
“Shahed” literally translates to “witness” in both Persian and Arabic but can also mean “Martyr”.
Get more information about: Shahed drones
Read more about: 14 Unprecedented Ways Ukraine’s Drone Warfare Reshapes Conflict, Investment, and Global Strategy
Because of their ever-changing designs, the sheer number of these attack drones has become a greater threat. Early models were distinguished by their pale gray color, slow speed, and relatively low altitude as they flew toward their predetermined targets. These early versions, powered by internal turbines, usually carried fragmented and highly explosive payloads.
Significant progress has been made in the Geran variants in more recent times. These more recent versions are much harder for Ukrainian defense forces to intercept because they are occasionally painted black and employ unique materials made to avoid radar detection. The operating profiles of drones have also evolved; they now intentionally avoid defensive measures by taking detours and flying at higher altitudes.
Furthermore, these evolving drones are increasingly more damaging. Some of them now have thermobaric warheads, which are designed to create a devastating explosion wave. Some Geran-3 models have upgraded their armor for greater survivability, while others have swapped out their piston engines for more powerful jet engines that enable speeds of over 500 km/h. Ukrainian defenders have also noted the concerning development of new Gerans that employ advanced AI targeting systems.
This steady flow of increasingly sophisticated drones is a sign of Moscow’s expanding manufacturing capability. Russian authorities and state media have frequently emphasized this growth; a recent documentary by the Zvezda television channel revealed operations at a Geran facility in Alabuga, in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan. The study described how technicians painstakingly built and stored dozens of attack drones so they could be instantly deployed to the front lines.
Military equipment: Drone warfare
Categories: Aerial bombing, Aerial warfare strategy, Airstrikes, Articles with short description, Attacks by method, CS1 Russian-language sources (ru), CS1 Turkish-language sources (tr), CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list, Commons category link is on Wikidata, Drone strikes, Improvised weapons, Short description is different from Wikidata, Targeting (warfare), Use dmy dates from August 2022
Summary: Drone warfare is a form of warfare using military drones or military robots. The robots may be remote controlled or have varying levels of autonomy during their mission. Types of robots include unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) or weaponized commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), unmanned surface vehicles (USV) or unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), and unmanned ground vehicles (UGV). The United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, China, South Korea, Iran, Iraq, Italy, France, India, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Poland are known to have manufactured operational UCAVs as of 2019. Drones are commonly used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance and to conduct direct attacks on target, however they may also be utilized for electronic warfare, explosive ordnance disposal, augmenting battlefield logistics or target training. Aerial drone attacks can be conducted via purpose-built UCAVs deploying ordnance during a drone strike or by weaponized commercial UAVs aerial dropping munitions or crashing into a target. Heavy-lift multirotor UAVs may also be used to airlift supplies to friendly ground forces. UAVs, USVs and UGVs are variously used for reconnaissance, kamikaze missions, transporting cargo, medical evacuation or may serve an anti-air, anti-armor or anti-personnel role. Smaller drones such as SUAVs and micro air vehicles are man-portable and can be deployed for low-altitude, short-range support operations. Larger drones can serve a “mothership” or drone carrier role, deploying smaller, sub-drones or being equipped with electronic warfare features such as a signal repeater in support of secondary drones. Multiple drones may operate and attack simultaneously in a drone swarm. In the early years of the 21st century, most drone strikes were carried out by the US military in such countries as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, and Libya using air-to-surface missiles against ground targets during the war on terror. Drone warfare has been increasingly deployed by Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran and by militant groups such as the Houthis. Since 2022, drone warfare has been extensively used in the Russian invasion of Ukraine by both sides, including long range fixed-wing drones, and short range multirotor FPV drones. Scholars have described the conflict as the first “drone war”, due to the large scale and high intensity of attacks, and agree on the major role drone warfare has in modern conventional warfare. The largest drone attack in history took place on 13 April 2024 when the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and other groups of the Axis of Resistance launched about 300 drones at Israel, a distance of about 1,500 kilometers.
Get more information about: Drone warfare
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The economic calculus behind Russia’s drone barrages is also significant. These attacks are not only effective but also relatively affordable. Various estimates for the cost of domestically-produced Gerans range from approximately $10,000 to $50,000 per unit. Despite the comprehensive Western sanctions campaign aimed at complicating Russian military procurement efforts, components from Western companies continue to be discovered in dozens of downed Gerans, a fact frequently underscored by frustrated officials in Kyiv.
The sheer volume of drones, combined with the strategic deployment of both strike and decoy variants, presents a “very nasty” problem for Ukraine’s already thinly-stretched air defense systems. This assessment comes from Pasi Paroinen, an OSINT analyst at the Finland-based Black Bird Group. While Ukraine has demonstrated considerable success in intercepting a significant proportion of these incoming projectiles, the consistent barrages exert immense pressure on their resources.
Paroinen elaborated on the operational strain, explaining that these attacks tie up crucial Ukrainian manpower. They have to have those groups of mobile anti-aircraft groups rolling around the countryside, shooting these things down,” he noted, highlighting the constant mobilization required to counter the threat. This continuous defensive effort, diverting resources and personnel, underscores the strategic burden imposed by Russia’s drone warfare.
Looking ahead, the projections regarding Russia’s drone production capacity are stark. Warnings issued by the Institute for the Study of War think tank and German Maj. Gen. Christian Freuding suggest that Russian forces may soon achieve the capability to launch an astonishing 1,000 to 2,000 drones per day. Pasi Paroinen further reinforced this concern, telling ABC News that he believes it is entirely feasible that Russia could soon launch 1,000 drones every single night.
Military equipment: Gerbera (drone)
Name: Gerbera
Caption: Gerbera drone, downed in Ukraine (January 2025)
Type: Loitering munition
Manufacturer: Drone factory in Yelabuga
Origin: Russia
UsedBy: Russia
Service: July 2024–present
IsMissile: Yes
Wingspan: cvt
Length: cvt
IsRanged: Yes
PayloadCapacity: max takeoff weight
VehicleRange: cvt
Altitude: cvt
Speed: cvt
Wars: Russian invasion of Ukraine
UnitCost: $10,000
Categories: Aircraft manufactured in China, Aircraft manufactured in Russia, Articles containing Russian-language text, Articles with short description, CS1 Lithuanian-language sources (lt), Commons category link is on Wikidata, Loitering munitions, Military decoys, Military equipment of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Post–Cold War weapons of Russia, Short description is different from Wikidata, Single-engined pusher aircraft, Unmanned aerial vehicles of Russia
Summary: The Gerbera (Russian: Гербера) is a Russian multi-purpose drone, described as a cheaper and simplified version of the Iranian Shahed-136, also known as the Geran-2 in Russia. It is designed for kamikaze missions, reconnaissance, and signal relaying to extend the operational range of other drones or enhance their resilience against electronic warfare. The Gerbera was first deployed by Russian forces in July 2024 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It was originally used as a decoy to distract and overwhelm Ukrainian air defense due to its visual similarity to the deadlier Shahed-136. By mid-2025 it was also being used for reconnaissance and strikes. During two separate incidents in July 2025, one confirmed and one suspected Gerbera drone entered Lithuanian NATO airspace, in what some analysts described as hybrid warfare provocations.
Get more information about: Gerbera (drone)
These forecasts highlight a serious long-term issue. “Analysts generally agree that this is going to be a major problem,” Paroinen said. He underlined that this production capacity is not temporary, saying, “And this is a production capability that won’t be going away, even if the war ends it will still have implications for the rest of Europe as well, that Russia will be able to produce and stockpile these weapons in pretty intense numbers.”
Kyiv-based defense journalist Oleksandr Matviienko, who writes for the Counteroffensive Pro newsletter, offers a moving human viewpoint on this growing aerial threat. Matviienko immediately starts looking through social media channels in a desperate attempt to learn more about the nature of the incoming threat and its trajectory towards the capital when the sound of the air raid siren pierces the night and an alert sounds on his cellphone.
His practiced routine takes over if he hears reports of drones or ballistic missiles circling the sky. He quickly collects his mat and sleeping bag, places them close to his door, and makes his way to the closest metro station. There, he joins an increasing number of people who are ready to spend hours underground in order to escape the onslaught from above.
Military equipment: Russia and weapons of mass destruction
CountryName: Russian Federation,{{nobold,Soviet Union
ProgramStart: 1942
LastTest: October 24, 1990
LargestYield: {{convert,50,MtonTNT,PJ,abbr=on,lk=on
TotalTests: 715 detonations
FirstTest: August 29, 1949
FirstFusion: November 22, 1955
PeakStockpile: ubli
CurrentStockpile: 5,459 (2025)
CurrentUsableStockpile: 1,718 (2025 estimate)
MaximumRange: 18,000 km
NptParty: Yes (1968, one of five recognized powers)
Categories: All articles containing potentially dated statements, All articles with failed verification, All articles with unsourced statements, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2025, Articles with failed verification from July 2024, Articles with short description, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2024, CS1 Russian-language sources (ru), CS1 uses Russian-language script (ru), Interlanguage link template existing link, Nuclear weapons program of Russia, Nuclear weapons program of the Soviet Union, Short description is different from Wikidata, Soviet biological weapons program, Soviet chemical weapons program, Use mdy dates from May 2024, Weapons of Russia, Weapons of mass destruction by country, Webarchive template wayback links
Summary: The Russian Federation is known to possess or have possessed three types of weapons of mass destruction: nuclear weapons, biological weapons, and chemical weapons. It is one of the five nuclear-weapon states recognized under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and one of the four countries wielding a nuclear triad. Russia possesses a total of 5,459 nuclear warheads as of 2025, the largest confirmed stockpile of nuclear warheads in the world. Russia’s deployed missiles (those actually ready to be launched) number about 1,718, also the largest confirmed strategically deployed arsenal in the world as of 2025. The remaining weapons are either in reserve stockpiles, or have been retired and are slated for dismantling. Russia’s predecessor state, the Soviet Union, reached a peak stockpile of about 45,000 nuclear warheads in 1986. The number of weapons Russia may possess is currently controlled by the bilateral New START treaty with the United States. Russia and the United States are the world’s biggest nuclear powers, holding about 88% of the world’s nuclear weapons. The Soviet Union ratified the Geneva Protocol—prohibiting the use of biological and chemical weapons in interstate conflicts—on April 5, 1928, with reservations that were later dropped on January 18, 2001. Russia is also party to the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention and the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention. The Soviet biological weapons program violated the Biological Weapons Convention and was the world’s largest, longest, and most sophisticated program of its kind. At its peak, the program employed up to 65,000 people. Despite being a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, Russia has continued to hold, and occasionally use, chemical weapons. In 1997, Russia declared an arsenal of 39,967 tons of chemical weapons, which it worked in part to decrease. Its stock of weapons was officially declared destroyed in 2017. The poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in 2018 and the poisoning of Alexei Navalny in 2020, both carried out by Russia, revealed that the country maintained an illicit chemical weapons program. Russian forces also used, and admitted to using, chemical weapons during the invasion of Ukraine.
Get more information about: Russia and weapons of mass destruction
Read more about: From Sea to Sky: Ukraine’s Uncrewed Vessels Redefine Naval Warfare in the Black Sea
Matviienko articulated the profound sense of vulnerability. I understand that the threat is really huge now,” he conveyed in an interview, acknowledging the omnipresent danger. He further elaborated on the unpredictable nature of the attacks, stating, “You never know if it will hit your apartment or your neighbour or neighbourhood,” a stark reflection of the constant anxiety faced by civilians.
Having personally experienced the fear and sleepless nights instigated by Russia’s record-breaking drone attacks, Matviienko possesses a deep understanding of Ukraine’s multifaceted challenges. He recognizes the immense difficulty in intercepting large volleys of drones that have been systematically modified to fly faster and higher, making them significantly harder to disrupt by conventional defensive measures.
Matviienko also highlighted a strategic shift in Russia’s targeting. Now we are in the most challenging time,” he observed, explaining that while previously, “they launched like 300 to 400 drones on the whole country, and now they are concentrating on one or two cities.” This focused assault aims to overwhelm specific urban centers, intensifying the destructive impact and the psychological toll on their populations.
Recent weeks in Kyiv offer a grim illustration of this concentrated aerial bombardment. On June 28, the capital endured a devastating nine-hour period of drone and missile attacks that resulted in the deaths of at least 28 people and injuries to more than 100 others. In one particularly tragic incident during this barrage, a drone slammed directly into a high-rise apartment building, destroying several residential units.
The overnight hours between July 8 and July 9 marked another grim record, as Russia launched what was described as its largest barrage of drones yet. A staggering 728 drones targeted Ukraine, complemented by 13 missiles. Yuriy Ignat, a spokesperson with Ukraine’s air force, likened the complex defensive scenario to a “high-speed chess game.”
Ignat captured the immense pressure on defense commanders during such attacks. “One can imagine what happens when 741 drones and missiles simultaneously appear on the map of Ukraine,” he stated, referring to the combined threat. He added, “During those moments, commanders make difficult decisions about what methods should be used to shoot them down,” emphasizing the rapid, critical choices required.
Despite the formidable scale of these assaults, Ukraine’s air defense forces have achieved a significant interception rate. In July, approximately 89 percent of drones and about 61 percent of missiles were successfully shot down or otherwise suppressed. By comparison, June saw 87.2 percent of all drones and 73 percent of missiles downed or suppressed, while May’s figures stood at 85.7 percent for drones and 57 percent for missiles.
Read more about: The Weight of War: How Ukraine Became President Trump’s Defining Conflict
Ukraine’s defense faces increasing difficulties due to the changing nature of Russia’s drones. According to Ignat, some drones have switched to a black coating, which makes them physically harder to identify, particularly at night. Experts also point out that these gadgets are increasingly being outfitted with sophisticated global navigation satellite systems, which have bigger antenna arrays and are therefore more impervious to electronic jamming attempts.
Defensive operations are made more difficult by these drones’ higher altitude. According to Ignat, mobile defense teams now find it much harder to effectively engage drones with machine guns because they are frequently flying higher, frequently reaching altitudes of two kilometers or more. Additionally, their increased speed necessitates faster interceptor capabilities, especially given that the Geran-3 model can reach speeds of over 500 km/h when powered by jets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has responded by saying that instead of using machine guns exclusively, Ukraine’s mobile fire teams are increasingly using interceptor drones. According to him, four businesses are presently producing these interceptor drones, and two of them are already seeing notable success in the market. Ukraine has obtained a financing agreement with Germany to support its efforts to increase its domestic production capacity. Canada has also promised to support these initiatives.
Military equipment: ZALA Lancet
Name: Lancet
Caption: Lancet, front view
Origin: Russian Federation
Type: Loitering munition
IsMissile: Yes
UnitCost: rubles
Speed: 110 km/h cruise,,300 km/h dive
Service: 2020 – present
UsedBy: Russian Armed Forces
Wars: Syrian civil war,Russian invasion of Ukraine
Designer: ZALA Aero Group
Categories: All articles lacking reliable references, All articles with unsourced statements, Articles lacking reliable references from April 2024, Articles lacking reliable references from February 2025, Articles with short description, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2025, CS1 Russian-language sources (ru), Cruciform-wing aircraft, Loitering munitions, Military vehicles introduced in the 2010s, Short description matches Wikidata, Unmanned aerial vehicles of Russia, Unmanned military aircraft of Russia
Summary: The ZALA Lancet (official designation: Item 52/Item 51) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and loitering munition developed by the Russian company ZALA Aero Group (part of Kalashnikov Concern) for the Russian Armed Forces. It was first unveiled in June 2019 at the ARMY-2019 military expo in Moscow. It is a further development of the ZALA Kub-BLA (also known as KYB-UAV) loitering munition. Iran claimed in April 2024 that it has manufactured a domestic analogue of the drone.
Get more information about: ZALA Lancet
The scale of the need remains immense. Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal reportedly informed allies during a recent meeting that Kyiv requires an estimated $6 billion US to address its current weapons production shortfall for the year, a sum that includes the crucial manufacturing of interceptor drones necessary to counter Russia’s ongoing aerial assault.
While Ukraine has deployed its own rapidly evolving drone arsenal to target Russian drone production facilities located deep within Russian territory, these efforts have yielded limited apparent success. Across July, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported downing 3,008 Ukrainian drones, an average of around 97 per day. This followed June’s figures of 2,368 Ukrainian drones downed and May’s total of 3,611.
Pasi Paroinen highlighted the inherent difficulties Ukraine faces in disrupting Russia’s growing drone production capabilities. It’s far enough away from the front lines that there are not really that many weapons that can reach it. Maybe some very long-range drones, but overall, trying to destroy such a factory is beyond their means,” he explained. He further added that effectively neutralizing a large industrial complex demands a level of firepower and explosives beyond Ukraine’s current delivery capabilities, and even if hits are achieved, damage can often be repaired with relative speed.
Amidst this escalating conflict, President Donald Trump’s repeated interventions have seemingly failed to alter the trajectory of events. The president has consistently voiced his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s continuation and expansion of drone and missile strikes on Ukraine. Earlier this month, Trump characterized Putin as someone who “talks nice and then bombs everybody,” underscoring the perceived discrepancy between rhetoric and action.
Military equipment: Gerbera (drone)
Name: Gerbera
Caption: Gerbera drone, downed in Ukraine (January 2025)
Type: Loitering munition
Manufacturer: Drone factory in Yelabuga
Origin: Russia
UsedBy: Russia
Service: July 2024–present
IsMissile: Yes
Wingspan: cvt
Length: cvt
IsRanged: Yes
PayloadCapacity: max takeoff weight
VehicleRange: cvt
Altitude: cvt
Speed: cvt
Wars: Russian invasion of Ukraine
UnitCost: $10,000
Categories: Aircraft manufactured in China, Aircraft manufactured in Russia, Articles containing Russian-language text, Articles with short description, CS1 Lithuanian-language sources (lt), Commons category link is on Wikidata, Loitering munitions, Military decoys, Military equipment of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Post–Cold War weapons of Russia, Short description is different from Wikidata, Single-engined pusher aircraft, Unmanned aerial vehicles of Russia
Summary: The Gerbera (Russian: Гербера) is a Russian multi-purpose drone, described as a cheaper and simplified version of the Iranian Shahed-136, also known as the Geran-2 in Russia. It is designed for kamikaze missions, reconnaissance, and signal relaying to extend the operational range of other drones or enhance their resilience against electronic warfare.
The Gerbera was first deployed by Russian forces in July 2024 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It was originally used as a decoy to distract and overwhelm Ukrainian air defense due to its visual similarity to the deadlier Shahed-136. By mid-2025 it was also being used for reconnaissance and strikes.
During two separate incidents in July 2025, one confirmed and one suspected Gerbera drone entered Lithuanian NATO airspace, in what some analysts described as hybrid warfare provocations.
Get more information about: Gerbera (drone)
Peace talks have continued in Turkiye throughout the past month, yet they have, to date, failed to yield a lasting ceasefire agreement. This ongoing diplomatic impasse, coupled with the relentless drone and missile barrages, paints a picture of a conflict entrenched in a new phase of intense aerial warfare.
Military equipment: Drone
Categories: All article disambiguation pages, All disambiguation pages, Disambiguation pages, Short description is different from Wikidata
Summary: Drone or The Drones may refer to:
Get more information about: Drone
The implications of Russia’s rapidly expanding and evolving drone capabilities extend far beyond the current conflict. Analysts generally agree that this represents a significant and enduring challenge. As Pasi Paroinen aptly articulated, this production capability is not transient; it is a permanent fixture. Even if the war concludes, Russia’s ability to produce and stockpile these weapons in substantial numbers will carry profound implications for the rest of Europe, reshaping the continent’s security landscape for years to come. The skies over Ukraine have become a crucible for advanced drone warfare, and the lessons learned and technologies deployed there will undoubtedly influence future conflicts and defense strategies across the globe.
