Russia fired nearly 400 long-range attack drones at Ukraine Monday night, its biggest series of strikes in weeks. The onslaught continued Tuesday morning, with dozens of drones targeting the capital Kyiv in the daylight.
Russia also launched 30 missiles during the night, hitting 10 locations across the country. Ukrainian officials report that the overnight offensive killed at least four people and injured 27.
Ukraine wasn’t taken by surprise, based on precedent in this war. Russia has ramped up attacks during the spring every year since it invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Russia currently occupies about 20% of Ukraine, including the Crimean peninsula. It has made only incremental territory gains since the end of 2022.
Ukraine has fewer soldiers and less equipment than Russia does. To make up for it, Ukrainians developed advanced drone technology. Small teams with limited resources at the front lines spearhead such innovation.
“It’s not like we sat down one day and decided to fight with drones,” says a pilot with Ukraine’s 127th Brigade. “We did it because we had nothing else.”
In the summer of 2024, a nonprofit think tank launched a project called Dronopad, which translates to “dronefall.” It developed drones that can intercept attack drones. Specifically, they can intercept Shahed drones, long-range, high-speed attack drones designed in Iran and used by Russia.
The Ukrainian interceptor drones are relatively inexpensive. They cost about $2,200 each, whereas a traditional American intercept missile costs about $2 million. If the interceptor drone doesn’t reach its target, it can be reused.
“Many people called it air defense for the poor,” says Taras Tymochko, who leads the project. “But it turns out that air defense for the poor can sometimes be more effective than air defense for the rich.”
Now countries in the Middle East want to use Ukraine’s technology to intercept Shahed drones fired from Iran as part of its war with the United States and Israel.
“We have provided expert assessments and are helping build a defense system,” says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He adds that 288 Ukrainian drone experts are already deployed in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan.
Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, says that he is assessing further steps for cooperation. Analysts say Ukraine is likely hoping to trade drone expertise for American-made military equipment.
War regularly rears its head in our fallen world. Yet we look forward to the day when God will destroy all weapons and bring peace.
He makes wars cease to the end of the Earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the chariots with fire. — Psalm 46:9
