Russia Has Enough Drones to Attack Ukraine 'Every Day': Kyiv

Russia has enough reserves of so-called "kamikaze" drones to attack Ukraine with the devices every day, the head of the Ukrainian Air Force has said.

During Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has launched Shahed-131 and "kamikaze" unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) supplied by Iran, devastating civilian infrastructure.

Yuri Ignat told Ukrainian television that Russia is accumulating these weapons as well as cruise and ballistic missiles for new attacks.

Ukraine's Air Force has said that Russia is firing more Kinzhal Kh-101 and Kh-505 cruise missiles from Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bombers.

"We have already seen the Iskanders, and S-400 missiles, which were used in attacks on Kyiv," Ignat said, according to Politika Strani, referring to the mobile short-range ballistic missile system deployed by Russia.

"But still, drones and more drones, they now have enough drones to attack Ukraine every day in different directions," he added. Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.

Ignat's latest comments come amid intensified drone attacks by Moscow forces on Ukrainian territory and warnings from Kyiv that Russian strikes are expected to escalate during the winter, as they focus on energy infrastructure and civilian sites.

Overnight on Monday, Ukrainian air defenses downed two Russian Shahed-type drones over Khmelnytskyi Oblast launched from Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia's Krasnodar region, the Ukrainian Air Force said.

Last month, Ignat said that Moscow is using modified black Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), kitted out with material that absorbs radar signals and painted black as a disguise in the night sky.

On December 16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had shot down 104 of the 112 Shahed-type drones launched over the past week, touting agreements made with allies on additional air defense support.

British defense officials said that Russia had started to launch Iranian-supplied drones from a new site in occupied Crimea. The site in Balaklava Crimea is now the fifth confirmed launch site being used by Russia—the others are in Cape Chauda, Yeysk, Primorsko, and Kursk.

Russia is highly likely to be spreading out its drone launch capabilities both to protect its forces and complicate Ukrainian air defense efforts, the British Ministry of Defense said.

Germany has delivered a new Patriot defense system to Ukraine, in addition to the two provided by Berlin and Washington in the spring. Last week, Norway announced that it is allocating $30.5 million in NASAMS air defense equipment.

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