New swarm tactics help Russia overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses

The number of successful Russian drone hits has reached its highest level since the start of the full-scale invasion, the report said.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, an average of 15% of Russian drones breached Ukrainian air defenses between April and June, up from just 5% in the previous three months.

The FT writes that the effectiveness of the drone strikes shows how “cheap mass can defeat even sophisticated, layered air defenses.” Russian forces are modifying Iranian-made Shahed drones to fly faster and at higher altitudes, putting them out of range of the heavy machine guns that Ukraine typically uses to intercept them.

“The issue isn’t that Ukraine’s air defenses are deteriorating,” said Yassir Atalan of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “In fact, we’re seeing how the new swarm tactics and higher-flying drones are making attacks more effective.”

Russian forces have recently begun launching Geran-3 drones with turbojet engines, capable of diving at speeds of up to 800 kilometers per hour, the report added.

Ukraine’s defense currently relies on a combination of electronic warfare to jam GPS signals, machine guns, and anti-aircraft systems such as the German-made Oerlikon Skynex by Rheinmetall.

The FT noted that these massive Shahed attacks are designed to “erode Ukraine’s will to fight” and push Kyiv toward accepting a ceasefire on Russian terms. Moscow also mixes in cruise and ballistic missiles with drone waves to further complicate Ukraine’s air defense response, although the success rate of those more advanced weapons has reportedly remained unchanged.

In June, then-Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Ukraine was deploying new “interceptor drones” and other undisclosed technologies to counter aerial threats.

On July 10, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia plans to launch between 700 and 1,000 drones per day. He said Ukraine had found ways to down Shaheds using interceptors, but stressed that international funding is essential to scale the response.

On July 20, Christian Freuding, head of the Ukraine situation center at Germany’s Defense Ministry, said Russia may attempt to launch as many as 2,000 drones simultaneously in future attacks.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat cautioned that public commentary on escalating Russian attacks should be restrained, as such narratives are often weaponized by the Kremlin for propaganda.