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Russia Deploys 40% Decoy Drones to Exhaust Ukrainian Air Defenses

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Amira_barkhush
Amira Barkhush
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Russia Deploys 40% Decoy Drones to Exhaust Ukrainian Air Defenses
A Russian Shahed drone hit the 20th floor of a residential building on October 25, 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Source: Getty Images)

Russian forces are deploying a growing number of decoy drones without a warhead alongside Shahed-type drones to strain Ukraine’s air defense systems, according to Colonel Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force Command.

Speaking to RBK-Ukraine, Ihnat stated that these imitation drones carry no warheads and are launched in significant numbers to divert and exhaust Ukrainian air defense resources. The tactic is part of a broader strategy to complicate threat detection and response.

“In recent attacks, approximately 60% of the drones were strike-capable, while the remaining 40% were decoys,” Ihnat said.

He noted that Russian forces are also altering drone flight patterns.

“They constantly change UAV routes and launch them at altitudes exceeding two kilometers, allowing them to descend sharply onto targets. At those heights, they are visible to our radar systems but remain out of reach for small arms, heavy machine guns, and mobile fire teams,” he added.

For three consecutive days, Russian forces launched intense aerial assaults on Ukrainian cities. Ukraine’s Air Force reported Russia deploying an unprecedented 995 aerial attack weapons during the period, including Shahed drones and missiles.

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