How Kyiv's drone 'swarm' left Moscow unable to cope

Ukraine’s massive and widespread drone attacks against Russia on the eve of talks between the US and Ukraine employed exactly the same tactics as Moscow has used to terrorise its neighbour for three years: the swarm.

- SAM KILEY

If the Kremlin’s figures are to be believed – they usually are not, but in this case they might be accurate – Ukraine flew 337 aircraft into Russian airspace. The drones used are made in Ukraine, employ the latest technology, and were sent in such numbers that Russian air defences were unable to cope.

Most nights, Ukraine is hit by waves of 100-200 cheap Shahed drones – a 40kg bomb powered by a lawnmower engine – which are sent along with ballistic missiles carrying half a tonne of high explosives. These swarms are intended to distract and overwhelm Ukraine’s defences, and lately have included dummy drones carrying no explosives, which are used to waste a multimillion dollar air-defence missile supplied by Europe or the US.