Russian drone barrage marks grim anniversary in Ukraine war
On the night of 23 to 24 February 2025, marking the third anniversary of the war's outbreak in Ukraine, Russia launched the largest drone attack since the conflict began, deploying 265 machines, reports the Defence Romania portal.
Yuriy Ignat, the spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, confirmed that the Russians deployed a record number of drones in an attack aimed at Ukraine. On the night of 23 to 24 February 2025, Russia employed as many as 265 machines.
Ukrainian air defence in action
During the attack, Ukrainian air defence successfully shot down 138 drones. The remaining 119 machines, which Ignat indicated were intended as decoys, vanished without a trace, causing no damage. Ignat did not specify what became of the remaining drones.
In response to the Russian attack, the Ukrainian military conducted its own drone operations on Russian territory. The Russian Ministry of Defence reported that Russian air defence shot down 20 Ukrainian drones across six regions of the country.
The Ukrainians have not specified which particular drones struck Ukraine in such record numbers on the conflict's third anniversary, but it is assumed that they were predominantly the widely used Shahed-136s at the front.
Russians stockpile more and more drones
The Russian Federation's military has been employing a tactic of amassing drones over a prolonged period to launch large-scale attacks in a single strike - this was likely the case with the attack from 23 to 24 February. It is important to clarify that the aforementioned Shaheds (known in Russia as Geran-2) have recently been upgraded. The Russians are now equipping them with warheads weighing approximately 90 kilograms, significantly larger than earlier versions. Previous generations had warheads weighing about 50 kilograms.
The increase in explosive payload enhances the Shaheds' effectiveness upon reaching their target. However, the larger warhead size has required the Russians to reduce the range. From the previous 1,350 kilometres, the new Shaheds now reach a distance of 640 kilometres.
Intensification of strikes
It should also be noted that the production of Shahed drones has increased significantly in recent months. In the first half of 2024, Moscow launched exactly 2,277 drones, whereas from August to October 2024, approximately 4,300 units were launched. In October alone, the Russian Federation launched over 2,000 Shahed drones.
