Russia prepares new wave of drone attacks on Ukraine that could last all day
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat (photo: Getty Images)
Russia is preparing a new wave of attacks on Ukraine from several directions at once, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said.
Which regions is Russia attacking?
According to Ihnat, a drone attack on the Odesa region is currently underway. The threat also remains for other regions.
"There is information that the enemy may attack today from both the north and the east," Ihnat said.
He explained that the enemy had accumulated a large number of drones to launch toward Ukraine. These are drones powered by internal combustion engines, rather than jet-powered drones. Recently, the enemy has been using this type of weapon most actively, with the country's western regions coming under attack.
How many drones are being shot down?
Ihnat said that Ukraine's air defenders are doing everything possible to minimize the number of strikes.
"The results are close to 90–100%, but unfortunately, there is still that 10%," he said.
According to him, some drones still manage to reach logistics routes, railways, and other facilities.
Aircraft, anti-aircraft systems, ground forces, and the entire integrated air defense system have been deployed to neutralize the threat. Ihnat noted that Ukraine's territory is too large to completely cover all directions of attack.
The interception rate for Shahed drones powered by internal combustion engines remains high, while the rate for jet-powered UAVs is lower because such targets are more difficult to intercept.
Why has the enemy switched to gasoline-powered drones?
Ihnat explained why the enemy is now launching gasoline-powered drones instead of jet-powered Shaheds.
"The enemy always plans some kind of unexpected operation to catch our air defenses off guard, using different types of munitions," he said.
According to him, in late August, the enemy used jet-powered drones on a massive scale in an attempt to overwhelm Kyiv and the Kyiv region with them.
"In August, compared with other months, there was a record number — 2,800 in August," Ihnat said. By comparison, 1,500 jet-powered drones were recorded in July and only 350 in June.
Ihnat suggested that the enemy used large stocks of jet-powered drones in August and has therefore now launched several waves of conventional Shaheds, primarily targeting western regions. Jet-powered drones generally do not have the range to fly such long distances.
How much longer will the attacks continue?
"These attacks are expected to continue throughout today," Ihnat warned.
He once again stressed that people should remain in shelters even if a drone is not jet-powered. The drones may arrive in several waves, so there could be numerous air raid alerts throughout the day.
At least 20 people, including two children, were injured in an air attack on Odesa on September 13.
On the night of September 14, Russian forces launched another massive drone attack on Ukraine, using Shaheds, including jet-powered variants, as well as Gerbera drones and Parodiya decoy drones.
