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Shaheds Now Pack Bigger Explosive Payloads Than Russian Missiles, Ukrainian Official Warns
A senior Ukrainian defense official has issued a stark warning over the increasing lethality of Russia’s Shahed drone assaults, saying they now deliver more explosive force than cruise missiles.
Speaking under condition of anonymity, the official said, “Russia has scaled up production of Shahed drones and continues to do so. With this pace, they will soon be capable of leveling our infrastructure, industry, and defense facilities.” The comment was published by Defense Express on June 18.
In the overnight assault on June 17 targeting Kyiv, Russia launched approximately 280 Shahed-136 drones alongside 160 long-range decoy UAVs, according to estimates from Ukraine’s Air Force Command. The wave also included two Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, 16 air-launched Kh-101 cruise missiles, four Kalibr sea-launched missiles, and nine guided Kh-59 or Kh-69 missiles. Assessments suggest the total warhead payload delivered by the missile component was about 12 tons.
In contrast, the Shaheds alone may have carried between 14 to 20 tons of explosives—depending on configuration. If all Shaheds were equipped with 50-kilogram warheads, the payload reached 14 tons; if half carried 90-kilogram warheads, the total rose to nearly 20 tons. This indicates that in this attack, the drones—not the missiles—accounted for the majority of explosive delivery.
Ukrainian analysts warn that Russia has optimized the Iranian Shahed drone’s design to strike with maximum efficiency and that new versions show improved resistance to electronic warfare. Moreover, the lower cost and modularity of drones enable Moscow to saturate Ukrainian defenses—particularly at night—compounding the strain on both interception systems and energy infrastructure.
In addition to strike payloads, Defense Express analysis also notes that Russia is experimenting with “drone salvo strategies,” in which up to 50 Shaheds are launched simultaneously. These groups, flying at low altitudes and dispersed across broad sectors, are designed to overwhelm air defenses and deliver significant cumulative explosive loads, especially against fixed targets.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia was preparing to manufacture up to 500 drones per day and could launch up to 1,000 aerial attack weapons in a single operation. He warned this could cripple Ukraine’s energy and defense infrastructure unless counter-drone capabilities are rapidly expanded.
-21d0b63c17f6020e4df75f6c6f9a2f4f.jpg "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
