Ukrainian intelligence highlights feature of nighttime drone attack on Ukraine
Photo: Andrii Yusov, representative of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
During the massive Shahed attack on Ukraine on the night of July 31, the Russian forces also launched a significant number of decoy drones to exhaust and gather intelligence on the Ukrainian air defense systems, according to Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
"There's nothing really new here. The enemy has long been using combined strikes. We've witnessed massive missile strikes, massive drone strikes, and simultaneous attacks (missiles and drones)," said Yusov, responding to a question about why Russian bombers took off during the attack but did not launch missiles.
According to him, this is a continuation of the enemy's search for more optimal ways to use such technology and tactics.
"It can be noted that this time there was a significant number of so-called decoy UAVs, meaning without explosive payloads. Their purpose is to exhaust and study air defense systems. This is also not a new tactic. The Defense Forces are working on and effectively countering such challenges," said the representative of the Defense Intelligence.
Massive drone attack on Ukraine on July 31
On the night of July 31, Russian forces launched 89 kamikaze drones at Ukraine. The air defense forces shot down all enemy drones.
It is worth noting that this was one of the largest drone attacks on Ukraine. The same number of Shahed drones were used by the Russian forces on New Year's Eve, January 1, 2024.
Last night, the main strike by Russia was directed at the Kyiv region. The Kyiv City Military Administration called the attack the largest of the year. According to local authorities, about 40 Shaheds were destroyed on the approaches to the capital.
For more details on the consequences of the massive drone attack, read the RBC-Ukraine material.
