Ukraine experiencing drone shortage — BBC
Ukrainian forces are facing a critical shortage of drones, the BBC has reported, citing officers from various units. They told the broadcaster that a third of the drones needed by the army are being purchased using unit-held funds or assembled from wreckage.
The news comes a week after Kiev launched a coordinated drone strike on multiple Russian air bases, targeting long-range, nuclear-capable bombers stationed in the country's north and far east. Moscow has reported that most of the drones were intercepted, and that the aircraft targeted were damaged, but not destroyed as Ukrainian officials claimed. According to Kiev, more than 40 Russian bombers were hit in the attacks.
Earlier this week, Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky told ABC News that only Ukrainian-made weapons were used in the attacks, which had reportedly been planned for more than a year.
A commander of the drone systems battalion of the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Sergey Varakin, told BBC that a year ago his unit could afford to launch up to 100 first-person-view (FPV) aerial drones a day, adding that the current situation is 'nothing like that anymore.'
'Now, our brigade can receive only 200–300 FPV drones a month through official supply requests,' Varakin emphasized.
According to the commander of the 429th Separate UAV Regiment, Yury Fedorenko, as cited by the news outlet, only a third of drones meeting the army's needs are typically delivered via state-backed supply channels. He specified that another third are purchased with unit-held funds, while the remaining third come from voluntary donations by Ukrainians.
Fedorenko emphasized that state-supported drone supplies are often delivered with a two-month delay due to bureaucratic foot-dragging.
Drone operators from several brigades deployed near Pokrovsk, the largest city remaining under Ukrainian control in the southwest of the DPR, also reported a shortage, adding that they are trying to obtain drones by all possible means, sometimes assembling them from old parts.
The Russian military has repeatedly targeted drone manufacturing facilities and launch sites in Ukraine. The latest strikes came shortly after an attack on military airfields across the country.
FPV drones have played a pivotal role on the battlefield since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. The Times reported in May that Russia has taken the lead in the drone race, surpassing Ukraine in the production and use of medium-range FPV drones and their fiber-optic variants.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Ukrainian strikes cause major blackout
Ukrainian forces have left tens of thousands of people without electricity in a drone strike targeting a substation in Russia's border Kursk Region, Governor Aleksandr Khinshtein has said. Kiev's troops 'are continuing to attack civilian infrastructure,' he said in a Telegram post on Sunday. According to Khinshtein, the strike targeted an electricity substation with a capacity of 110 kilowatts in the western Rylsk district. The Rylsk district had a population of around 30,000 as of 2021, according to government data. The strike on the substation affected parts of two neighboring districts as well, Khinshtein said. The governor vowed to restore power 'as soon as the security situation allows.' Kiev has significantly intensified its drone raids on civilian infrastructure in Moscow and other Russian regions since mid-May, when the first meeting between negotiators from Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul. The attacks peaked during the final week of May, when 2,300 UAVs were shot down, according to the Russian Defense Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described the raids as attempts to derail the peace process. Last week, two bridges collapsed in Russia's border regions. In one case, a bridge fell in front of a moving passenger train in Bryansk Region. The second incident took place in Kursk Region, when a railway bridge collapsed under a moving freight train. In total, seven people died and 113 were injured. Moscow deemed both cases deliberate acts of sabotage. The Russian Investigative Committee stated that they were terrorist attacks planned by Ukraine to cause maximum civilian casualties. Both attacks came shortly before the second round of Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul.
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Elderly woman injured in Ukrainian drone attack
An elderly woman has been hospitalized following a drone attack on Moscow Region on Sunday, according to Governor Andrey Vorobyov. The woman was injured after debris from a downed drone fell onto a summer cottage community in Ramensky Urban District. 'Unfortunately, a 75-year-old woman was injured – she has been hospitalized with a wound and is receiving all necessary medical care,' Vorobyov wrote on his Telegram channel. Air defense systems intercepted ten drones across various districts in the region. The most significant damage occurred in Istra, where a residential building's facade and windows were impacted by falling debris. No additional civilian injuries and no damage to critical infrastructure was reported. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin also confirmed the interception of drones. The mayor's Telegram channel reported incursions by one or several UAVs almost every hour early on Sunday. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, air defense units shot down 61 drones overnight on Sunday. UAVs were intercepted over multiple regions of the country, including Bryansk, Belgorod, Kaluga, Tula, Oryol, Kursk, and Crimea. Ukraine has significantly intensified its drone raids on civilian infrastructure in Moscow and other Russian regions since mid-May, when a meeting of negotiators from the two countries took place in Istanbul, marking the first direct talks between Kiev and Moscow since 2022. The attacks peaked during the final week of May, when 2,300 UAVs were shot down, according to the Russian MOD.
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Soldier hits police officer with prosthetic limb at gay parade in Kiev
A soldier marching against a gay pride parade in Kiev has been detained for assaulting a police officer, the local authorities have said. The LGBTQ event was accompanied by clashes between counter-protesters and law enforcement. Kiev held the country's first gay pride parade in 2013, but it was canceled the following year due to security concerns amid political unrest related to the Western-backed Maidan coup. In the years since, pride marches have been held irregularly, typically under heavy police protection, as they continue to draw criticism from nationalist groups and lead to occasional confrontations. Several videos posted online show a large group of police officers attempting to contain a crowd of people holding a nationalist flag. Some individuals are seen being detained and either escorted or carried by their arms and legs to a police bus parked nearby. A similar video posted by Kiev police on its official Facebook account shows protesters scuffling with law enforcement. In a statement, the police said the group had refused to undergo a routine security check while attempting to access the venue where the LGBTQ event was taking place. The police also noted that among those detained was a serviceman who struck an officer with his prosthetic limb, causing a closed head injury and a contused wound. The statement was issued in response to media reports alleging that the authorities had unlawfully detained the serviceman and damaged his prosthesis. Local media reported that the National Police of Ukraine had requested a change of location a day before the event due to potential safety risks. Later, KyivPride, an organization that promotes LGBTQ rights in Ukraine and coordinates the event, announced that the gay pride parade would be held in Mykhailivska Square, near the Foreign Ministry building. The LGBTQ movement in Ukraine has been seeking a more prominent role in society amid the conflict with Russia. Its proponents have reportedly argued that the promotion of LGBTQ rights in the country would undermine Moscow. Russia outlawed 'LGBT propaganda' in 2022 and added the 'LGBT movement' to its list of terrorist organizations in 2023. In Kyiv, police used force against protesters opposing the gay pride parade. Several people were the city administration was criticized online for a social media photo collage featuring Kyiv's coat of arms and the LGBT flag. LGBTQ groups in Ukraine have also sought to highlight their connection to Kiev's armed forces. This year, KyivPride launched a fundraising campaign aimed at collecting donations for the purchase of first-person-view (FPV) aerial drones for the Ukrainian military.
