Russian forces are increasingly employing new drone deployment strategies in their ongoing attacks against Ukraine, with recent operations including daytime strikes following an extensive campaign of regular night-time offensives.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported on November 25 that Russian forces launched 145 drones in a large-scale operation beginning the previous evening. While 71 of these drones were intercepted by Ukrainian air defences, another 71 disappeared from radar, likely due to Russian electronic warfare systems.
This shift in tactics complicates air defence operations, which have so far relied on the predictability of nighttime Shahed drone strikes.
“On the night of 24–25 November (since 18:30 on 24 November), the occupiers deployed Shahed attack drones and other unidentified types of drones to attack Ukraine from Orel, Kursk, Millerovo and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in the Russian Federation and temporarily occupied territories in Crimea,” the Air Force said.
In an apparent tactical shift, Russian forces deployed drones not only at night but also during the day, breaking from established patterns. The Air Force warned that this evolution in Russian drone tactics may require changes in both defensive operations and reporting practices.
Previously, Ukrainian forces had adapted to regular nocturnal Shahed drone strikes. Despite these challenges, Ukrainian air defence systems successfully intercepted drones in numerous regions, including Kyiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts.
“Another 71 drones disappeared from radar, likely because of Russian electronic warfare systems; one drone crossed into Belarusian airspace,” the Air Force added.
The attacks also involved glide bombs, Kh-59/69 air-to-surface missiles, and various other unmanned systems. This escalation highlights Russia’s continued efforts to target critical infrastructure and military positions while refining its drone warfare strategy.
Post Image – Ukrainian police inspect a downed Shahed (Post Image Credit: Ukrainian National Police in the Vinnytsia region)
