In August, September and October of this year, Russia used 4,300 Shahed-type strike UAVs and other types of drones that imitate real Shaheds in Ukraine.
This was reported by the General Staff with reference to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Air defence managed to shoot down 3,063 Russian UAVs (71%). The percentage of locally lost drones (those that disappeared from radar, presumably as a result of active countermeasures by electronic warfare or for other reasons) reached 24 (i.e. 1052 drones).
‘Thus, direct hits by enemy UAVs account for 5%. Destruction or damage can also be caused by the fall of UAVs shot down by air defence,’ the military said.
The Air Force noted that October was a record month for the launch of Russian drones:
- August: 818 UAVs were launched by Russians, 701 were shot down, and 91 were lost locally;
- September: 1410 were launched, 1156 were shot down, 201 were lost locally;
- October: 2072 were launched, 1206 were shot down, 766 were lost locally.
‘Over the same period: May, June and July 2024, 1133 strike UAVs were launched over the territory of Ukraine. Air defences shot down 1,055 of them, and 10 were lost locally. The percentage of shootdowns in May-July 2024 is about 94%,’ the military said.
Thus, the percentage of direct hits by Russian Shahed-type strike UAVs and other types of drones imitating real Shaheds in May-July and August-October 2024 is 6 and 5 per cent, respectively.