Benjamin Jensen and Yasir Atalan
CSIS published an interactive dashboard that explores the daily and cumulative trends of Russian missile attacks, including the number of missiles launched, types of missiles used, and the success of Ukrainian intercepts. Explore the interactive dashboard here.
The IssueRussia’s drone campaign utilizes inexpensive Shahed drones to saturate Ukrainian air defenses and erode civilian morale through persistent nightly attacks. Originally Iranian made, these drones are now mass produced in Russia using Western electronics and essential Chinese components.
Ukraine urgently requires layered, cost-effective air defenses, including high-energy laser systems, to counter drone saturation. Targeted long-range strikes on drone production and launch sites and disrupting China’s supply of critical electronics to Russia are essential steps.
Russia’s relentless use of low-cost drones signals a broader shift toward attrition warfare based on overwhelming air defense systems with sheer numbers. Western governments must innovate in economical defenses and tackle Chinese technology flows fueling Russian drone production.
Russia is using a punishment strategy to force Kyiv into negotiations designed to end the war and hamper Ukrainian sovereignty for the next generation. This approach increasingly relies on a single weapon: the Shahed drone. Originally imported from Iran but now mass produced in Russia using a mix of smuggled Western electronics and important Chinese parts, these low-cost attack drones cause millions of Ukrainians to wake up to the sound of air raid sirens every night. This terror campaign has lasted longer than the infamous Blitz aerial bombing of London during World War II and shows no signs of letting up.
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