Russia reduces Shahed drones, scales up ballistic strikes on Ukraine
Fragment of Russian cruise missile in Lviv, July 30, 2026 (Photo: REUTERS/Stringer)
Russia reduced the number of strike drones used in its mass attacks in July 2026, prioritizing ballistic missiles to exploit Ukraine's shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on July 30.
Analysts examined the massive Russian attack on July 30, when Russian forces deployed 74 missiles and 284 UAVs. The overnight strike inflicted heavy casualties on civilians and widespread damage to infrastructure, though the total count of aerial attack assets (358) was not the largest single barrage launched against Ukraine.
The destructive impact of the bombardment stemmed from Russia's heavy reliance on ballistic missiles (nine Iskander-M/S-400/KN-23 systems), against which Ukraine lacks adequate defenses, the ISW noted.
Overall, Russia has launched fewer drones and more missiles in recent weeks: attacking Ukraine with 4,606 drones and 376 missiles in July, compared to 5,749 drones and 181 missiles in June. Russian military bloggers attribute this trend to the high effectiveness of Ukrainian air defenses against Shahed drones, as well as Russian communication limitations that restrict the operational range of strike UAVs, according to the analysis.
In July 30 attack, the aggressor state used at least one North Korean KN-23 ballistic missile for the first time since the summer of 2025, amid reports of fresh weapon deliveries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russian forces struck Radushne near Kryvyi Rih with a KN-23 missile, killing a large family. A Reuters source noted that the deployment of North Korean missiles highlights Russia's constrained domestic ballistic missile stockpiles. The last Ukraine-confirmed use of a North Korean missile occurred on Aug. 8, 2025.
The ISW noted that North Korean ballistic missile deliveries allow Russia to reduce ineffective UAV attacks and scale up ballistic strikes, capitalizing on Ukraine's deficit of Patriot air defense systems.
Mass strike on July 30
Overnight on July 30, Russia launched a massive combined attack on Ukraine utilizing 358 aerial weapons — 74 missiles and 284 UAVs.
Russian forces fired 22 cruise missiles at Lviv, damaging two multi-story residential buildings. One person was killed and at least 34 were injured.
In Radushne near Kryvyi Rih, a direct hit by a Russian ballistic missile on a private home killed three children and three adults belonging to a large family.
In Kyiv, ballistic missile strikes ignited fires in two districts, resulting in one confirmed fatality. Consequences of the attack were also reported in Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Rivne, and other oblasts.
Russian Kh-101 cruise missile entered Polish airspace and crashed in the Lublin Voivodeship, where debris was subsequently located in a field between the villages of Tarnawa-Kolonia and Tokary.
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