Air Force reveals motives behind non-stop, two-day drone onslaught on Kyiv

Kyiv and the surrounding capital oblast are enduring a second consecutive day of continuous enemy jet-powered drone attacks interspersed with ballistic missile strikes. The total number of air raid alerts in the capital has surpassed twenty over this span.

On Aug. 27 alone, municipal authorities declared alerts 13 times — a single-day record since the start of the full-scale invasion. The assault continued without interruption through the night and into Aug. 28.

In under two days, Russian forces launched over 300 drones at Ukraine, the vast majority being jet-powered models, with raids actively ongoing. Russian strikes have primarily targeted warehouses and distribution hubs belonging to major retail chains and food producers, with more than ten flagship corporations confirming destruction or damage to their facilities.

"The enemy's objective is to destroy our infrastructure," Ihnat explained to NV. He noted that regardless of how erratic flight paths may appear, every drone is assigned a specific target.

"Whether it is a warehouse facility, a shopping mall, a fuel station, and so forth, every munition deployed by the enemy has a designated purpose," the Air Force representative added.

Ihnat noted that these UAVs can simultaneously perform reconnaissance and strike missions. When equipped with real-time command-and-control datalinks — an increasingly common feature — they can also strike mobile targets such as trains and locomotives.

Beyond physical destruction, Russian forces are pursuing psychological attrition.

"Another major factor, of course, is the psychological impact on the civilian population," Ihnat stated.

A similar assessment was published on Telegram by Andrii Kovalenko, Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation: lacking the capacity for simultaneous massive salvos, Russian forces are launching jet UAVs in continuous small ripples of two to four aircraft to paralyze daily life in Kyiv while exhausting air defenses and the public.

Radar shadows and river corridors

Ihnat emphasized that this is not the first time Russian forces have conducted prolonged daytime drone attacks on civilian cities.

On Aug. 18, Russian forces fired 76 jet-powered Shaheds at Kyiv Oblast, with Ukrainian defenses intercepting or neutralizing more than 70.

The most common flight vector for these drone groups runs along the Ukrainian-Belarusian border. UAVs typically transit from Russia's Bryansk Oblast through Chernihiv Oblast, then track south over the Kyiv Reservoir toward the capital, flying at fluctuating altitudes or skimming the water's surface.

"When operating over water, interception becomes considerably more complex: the drone flies lower, making detection harder for both optical spotters and radar systems," Ihnat explained.

"If the antenna array cannot acquire the low-altitude drone, the radar station cannot track it."

The Air Force spokesperson confirmed that military command is establishing additional air- and ground-based intercept tiers.

"We see and know their flight corridors. However, the enemy varies routes to make detection and interception as difficult as possible," Ihnat added.

The supersonic evolution of terror

Jet-powered uncrewed aerial vehicles represent an evolving operational challenge for the Defense Forces, he said. Russian forces continue scaling their deployment: in July, they utilized five times as many jet drones as in June, while decreasing the operational frequency of standard propeller-driven Shaheds powered by internal combustion engines.

Russian forces are increasingly launching "Banderol" munitions — hybrids of compact cruise missiles and jet-powered kamikaze drones reaching speeds of 620 to 650 km/h (385 to 404 mph). These high-speed systems challenge mobile air defense fireteams and drone interceptors, as their flight velocity aligns more closely with cruise missiles. Consequently, engagements rely on ground-based surface-to-air missile systems, man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), and fighter aircraft.

"War does not stand still. Every quarter, the enemy introduces improved systems alongside modified tactical approaches," Ihnat explained.

"Our counter-tactics are adapting in the exact same manner."