Russian drone losses reach thousands, Ukrainian border guards say
Border guards show how they shoot down Russian drones (photo: Getty Images)
Ukrainian border guards intercepted more than 8,000 Russian drones in June, including hundreds of strike UAVs, the State Border Guard Service reported.
Border guards eliminate Russian drones
As part of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, the State Border Guard Service continues to play a key role in protecting the country's airspace from aerial threats. To counter Russian drones, its personnel use modern weapons and advanced technology.
In particular, border guards employ small arms, modern air defense systems, electronic warfare (EW) systems, and advanced interceptor drones to detect and destroy Russian aerial targets.
"Effective counteraction in the skies: border guards continue to destroy enemy drones on a large scale," the State Border Guard Service said.
Watch Ukrainian #border guards destroy #Russian #drones in fiery new video pic.twitter.com/X3hUOMSYvu
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) July 4, 2026
How many drones were eliminated in a month
Thanks to a coordinated effort, State Border Guard Service units disrupted the flights of more than 8,000 Russian drones during June alone.
The agency said that figure included nearly 900 Shahed and Gerbera strike drones that were successfully neutralized.
Large-scale attacks launched by Russia
Notably, Russian forces continue to launch nightly attacks on Ukrainian regions, combining missile strikes with large-scale drone assaults involving multiple types of UAVs.
On the night of July 4, Russian troops launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile from temporarily occupied Crimea, a Kh-59/69 guided aerial missile from over the Black Sea, and 86 strike drones against Ukraine.
The UAVs included Shahed drones (including jet-powered variants), Gerbera and Italmas drones, and Parodiya decoy drones. Ukrainian air defenses destroyed most of the incoming aerial targets.
Russia also carried out another large attack the previous day, on July 3. During that assault, Russian forces launched two guided aerial missiles and 105 strike drones. Ukrainian air defenses neutralized 83 of the aerial targets, although drone strikes and falling debris were reported in several regions.
