Russia Launches Record Number of Drones at Ukraine in April—Nearly 90% Don’t Make It

Ukrainian air defense intercepted nearly 6,000 Russian drones and missiles in April under record-level aerial pressure, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense on May 7.

The ministry reported that air defenders neutralized 5,861 drones and 89 cruise and ballistic missiles last month, producing a combined interception rate of 88.5%.

Russian forces launched more than 6,700 aerial weapons across April, slightly above the roughly 6,600 fielded in March.

Drone interception held close to 90% on average and reached 92% to 95% on the most intense days, the ministry noted. Of 6,583 Shahed-, Gerbera-, and Italmas-type drones detected, Ukrainian forces brought down 5,861, a 89.03% success rate.

Cruise and ballistic missiles proved harder to defeat, with 89 of 141 incoming weapons destroyed for a rate above 63%. Russia carried out three combined missile-and-drone barrages of 600 to 700 weapons each on April 3, April 16, and April 25.

The single largest drone wave came on April 1, when Russian forces launched 700 strike drones in one day, and Ukrainian crews shot down or suppressed nearly 92%, the ministry stated.

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War in Ukraine

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On the evening of April 15, Russia paired a drone assault with 21 cruise missiles fired in a single salvo, and Ukrainian air defense intercepted 20. The ministry credited F-16 fighters with taking a leading role against incoming cruise missiles.

Officials acknowledged a persistent gap in defending against ballistic missiles, which only Patriot batteries can engage, amid a continuing shortage of interceptors for those systems. The ministry described the April tempo as the second straight month of record-level attacks, with intensity rising despite a shorter month and a one-day pause around Easter.

The record pace of Russian aerial attacks also comes as partners move to reinforce Ukraine through new weapons funding, as Norway will allocate more than $300 million to finance US-made weapons for Ukraine through NATO’s PURL mechanism. The funding was announced after earlier Norwegian commitments, including joint drone production in Norway and additional support for Ukrainian-made weapons.

Oslo had already pledged to deliver its promised F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of 2025, with some aircraft already delivered. The new allocation extends that support through a NATO-coordinated purchasing route designed to move American weapons to Ukraine.

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