In the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Russia has increasingly deployed imitation drones, known as ‘Parody drones’, to divert Ukrainian air defences. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence reported via Telegram today that of more than 2,000 Russian drones launched in October, at least half were decoys.
These non-explosive decoys mimic strike drones using Luneburg lenses, which make them appear similar to larger, weaponised drones on radar. Smaller and significantly cheaper than the Shahed drones commonly used for strikes, Parody drones act as ‘fake targets’ intended to strain Ukrainian defensive resources.
An investigation into these drones has highlighted Russia’s reliance on foreign components for their manufacture, challenging Moscow’s claims of domestic self-sufficiency in defence technology. The flight control modules of Parody drones are said to be assembled from components sourced globally, including from North Korea (Ebyte, Jiashan Jinchang Electron, Yangzhou Yangjie Electronic Technology), the United States (Texas Instruments, Cypress Semiconductor, InvenSense), Switzerland (STMicroelectronics) and Taiwan (SONiX Technology).
The Parody drones, which contain electronics valued between $100 and $200, have sparked discussions among military experts. The most expensive component in these drones is said to be the engine, making them cost-effective when compared to fully equipped strike drones. Additionally, experts noted that Parody drones are more advanced than other imitation drones, such as the ‘veneer Gerber’ drones, also deployed by Russian forces.
Data from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine further reveal that Russian drones were mostly ineffective in hitting their targets. In October, only 4.83 percent of Russian drones reached their intended destinations, with the remainder neutralised by Ukrainian defences. Compared to July, Russia’s overall effectiveness in deploying these decoys saw a slight increase of 1.65 percent, despite a 2.5-fold increase in the number of drones launched.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking on November 2, confirmed the scale of the drone campaign, stating that “Russia launched over 2,000 drones across Ukrainian territory” in October alone. He added that these drones “contained approximately 170,000 components from companies in China, Europe and the United States.”
The scale of drone activity represents a record number of launches against Ukraine, as confirmed by the Ukrainian General Staff on November 5. Between August and October 2024, Russia launched a total of 4,300 Shahed and other types of drones, of which 3,063 were successfully intercepted by Ukrainian Defence Forces, achieving a 71 percent interception rate.
Crédit photographique : Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
