Russia plans large-scale drone attacks on Ukraine, deploying up to 500 UAVs at once – Ukraine's intelligence
Source: Skibitskyi's interview with RBC Ukraine
Quote: "According to Russian commanders, if plans for the first half of the year are fulfilled, they will be able to launch approximately 500 unmanned aerial vehicles at a time."
Details: Skibitskyi stated that the Russians aim to enhance the number of UAVs that can be launched simultaneously, as well as broaden the network of launch locations for drones.
He stated that Russia has not changed its targets in missile and drone attacks. The main targets remain the command and control system of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, aviation and airfields, energy and gas transportation infrastructure, as well as defence industry enterprises.
Skibitskyi stressed that the Russian forces have recently been actively attacking the gas transmission system and fields in an attempt to deprive Ukraine of its own resources. There has also been a change in attack tactics - the Russians are clearly planning attacks to inflict maximum damage.
Background: The Russians conducted a large-scale attack on the night of 2-3 March, launching 83 Shahed attack drones and decoy drones from the Russian cities of Oryol, Kursk, Millerovo and Primorsko-Akhtarsk. The Ukrainian defence forces managed to down 46 UAVs.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Newsweek
17 minutes ago
- Newsweek
JD Vance Told Volodymyr Zelensky to 'Behave' During Oval Office Meeting
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News' Laura Ingraham that he greeted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with a "little icebreaker" during his visit to the White House this week. Vance said on The Ingraham Angle, "President Zelensky walked into the Oval Office, and I was chatting with him, and the president [Trump] and some of the senior Ukrainian delegation. I said, Mr. President, so as long as you behave, I won't say anything. And he just chuckled a little bit, and it was a good little icebreaker." During a February Oval Office meeting, President Trump and Vance abruptly confronted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, culminating in a public shouting match and the cancellation of a signed minerals deal after Zelensky was called "disrespectful" and escorted out of the White House. The meeting—which had initially been intended to formalize U.S. support for Ukraine—collapsed entirely, with lunch and a joint press conference scrapped amid the dramatic fallout. Vance: Zelenskyy walked into the oval office. I was chatting with him… I said Mr. President, so long as you behave, I won't say anything. It was a good little icebreaker — Acyn (@Acyn) August 20, 2025 This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.


New York Post
18 minutes ago
- New York Post
To understand Russians, try catching a ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre
He's Putin on the ritz To try to understand a land which birthed a Putin, I went back to my old notes. I have been to Russia several times. A taxi, empty, cruised past, slowly, repeatedly, then grudgingly stopped. In English, the cabbie said: 'We must take foreign language in school. Still, we avoid anyone who looks American. They're trouble. They carry little conversation dictionaries but Americans we never understand. Talk too fast. 'Impatient. When you can't understand they bang you on the back — and you hit yourself against the wheel. Always they get mad. One threw hands around, pointed to where he wanted to go and his arm crossed my face. I couldn't see to drive. Dangerous. Americans are much trouble.' The Bolshoi Theatre got me into a personal cold war. They make you remove your coat before entering. I was freezing. It was chilly outside and inside. Also, my nose was running. Me walking to my seat, he then trotted out from his booth. This Gardes Des Robes tugged at my lapel. I tried sign language. He did physical language. As I headed for my seat he physically barred my way. A shivering lady comrade who'd doffed her wrap explained: 'People here are used to authority. You obey automatically.' Another said, 'We are on a cultural level. The sold-out Kremlin opera seats 6,000, Tchaikovsky Hall has nightly musical concerts. Also the Central Puppet Theatre, Operetta Theatre, Children's Theatre and 27 other Moscow theatres, including the Bolshoi, which was founded in 1776. And for three rubles [less than a dollar], I can sit in the seat which once held the czar.' She comes here how often? Her answer: 'This the first time.' On the outside, pleasant. Inside, something else. Crumple a Kleenex in your luggage. It's crumpled differently upon your return. Hotel elevators delist two floors. Reportedly, it's where the hotel held the building's wire tap equipment. Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Showers without curtains. Sinks minus stoppers. Room service that doesn't answer. I myself brought in a chicken sandwich and cup of hot chocolate. Two days later a chicken sandwich and candy bar were on my bed. The manageress: 'Our new hotel will have 6,000 rooms. Equipped with every modern facility.' Me: 'Will it have a swimming pool?' She: 'Certainly not. But it will have a concert hall.' 'Hotels have reasonable rates. Wish entertainment — you pay extra.' I asked if she vacations with her husband. 'No. I go separately. To the Crimeas. Sochi in the Black Sea where many of the presidium go.' I also asked famed Russian circus clown Popov if he gets a percentage of all the Popov dolls sold. Answer? 'Nyet.' Does his contract guarantee special dressing room and dresser in attendance? 'Nyet.' How then can you tell you're a star? 'I have a car.' In the words of Commie Slamdamnhe, there are many nice things about that country. Like parking places. Only problem? They got nothing to park. Only in Putinville, kids, only in Putinville.


New York Post
18 minutes ago
- New York Post
Ukrainian children captured and ‘brainwashed' by Russia in preparation for war tell how they escaped
Ukrainian teenager Vladyslav Rudenko's life was upended when Russian soldiers blasted into his home in Kherson in October 2022. The menacing, black balaclava-clad troops said he had 30 minutes to pack whatever he could carry then ripped him from his family — he was 16 at the time. It was nine months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Rudenko was forced onto one of several buses filled with Ukrainian children. Advertisement 11 Vlad said he was kidnapped and sent to a military academia in Russia where he was forced to swear allegiance to the Russian flag and learned how to use weapons. He is pictured here posing with a gun bought by others at his military camp. he was rescued just before he was sent to the front lines. Courtesy of Save Ukraine The military drove them to a camp in Crimea known as Druzhba — 'Friendship' in both Ukrainian and Russian — populated by some 600 Ukrainian children and teenagers who were there to be re-educated. The forced recruits were told to discard anything that would identify them as Ukrainian. One girl wore a T-shirt stamped with the words 'Glory to Ukraine,' Rudenko told The Post. She refused to take it off, so the Russian soldiers cut it off her, according to Rudenko. Advertisement At the re-education camp, teenagers were subjected to Russian propaganda videos and had to swear allegiance every morning to the Russian flag. When Rudenko refused to cooperate, he was stuck in a dark cell and force-fed pills 'to calm me down.' Later, the soldiers sent Rudenko to a military camp where he learned to use weapons and drive a tank. 11 Save Ukraine works to rescue children seized by Russia, and help them integrate back into Ukraine society. Courtesy of Save Ukraine Advertisement 11 Save Ukraine has saved 777 Ukrainian children who were kidnapped by Russia and placed in re-education camps to turn them into Russian citizens. Courtesy of Save Ukraine He was offered a Russian passport, education at a Russian university and Russian citizenship. 'They were trying to bribe me,' he said, adding that he is currently in therapy after suffering 'emotional and psychological pressure to switch sides.' Before he was scheduled to go to the front, Rudenko was allowed to call his mother, who had been working with the non-profit Save Ukraine to help him. Advertisement For security reasons, he says he cannot reveal how he was rescued, but is now back in Ukraine in what he described as 'a very stable' environment. The Russians offered him a Russian passport, education at a Russian university and Russian citizenship. 11 After his rescue from a Russian military academy, Vlad says he is back in a stable environment and is training to be a boxer. Courtesy of Save Ukraine 'They were trying to bribe me,' he said, adding that he is currently in therapy after suffering 'emotional and psychological pressure to switch sides.' Rudenko is one of the lucky few to have made it back. Save Ukraine says it has rescued 777 children so far out of the estimated 1.6 million who it says have been taken by the Russians. 'This is a systematic indoctrination to annihilate our identity and destroy our country by kidnapping our children,' said Mykola Kuleba, founder of Save Ukraine and a former commissioner for children's rights for the Ukrainian government between 2014 and 2021. The group's investigators recently found an online catalog of 294 kidnapped Ukrainian children put up for adoption in Russia. The database is hosted on the education department's website in Russian-controlled Luhansk, where children are advertised for their character traits and physical features. Advertisement The Post viewed some of the posts, featuring children ranging in age from five to 15. Russia says the children are all orphans, Save Ukraine maintains that in the majority of cases they are not, and have been forcibly separated from their families. In the entries 'Alexandra' is pictured in a plaid black and red shirt, her profile says she is 14 years old with brown eyes and 'demonstrates leadership qualities.' The description lists: 'sings well, dances, writes stories.' Advertisement The question 'brothers or sisters' is answered only with 'yes' and no further details. 11 Alexandra is among the Ukrainian children that the Russian have put up for adoption. The 14-year-old 'demonstrates leadership qualities,' according to her online bio. Save Ukraine 11 Ilya, a five-year-old, who is up for adoption, is described as 'very cheerful… Very hardworking… Favorite activity [is] drawing and active games in the fresh air,' in his online bio. Save Ukraine 11 Angelina, 15, is 'Non-aggressive, kind, capable of sympathy … willing to carry out assignments. If she takes on a task, she sees it through to the end,' according to her adoption bio. Save Ukraine Advertisement 11 Sugar, 14, was also marked for adoption on the Russian site, described as having 'a desire and aspiration to take care of someone. Shows love for animals. Especially loves dogs.' Save Ukraine has blasted such postings as 'a slave catalog.' Save Ukraine In another post, a five-year-old boy, Ilya, is pictured at his school desk with a pencil and coloring book. He is described as 'very cheerful … loves to smile and hug,' and 'always helps not only adults, but also children.' Another girl, Angelina, is pictured on a sunny street with her hands held behind her back. She is described as 15 and 'capable of sympathy' as well as 'responsible about cleaning the classroom.' 'Russia isn't even trying to hide it anymore,' Kuleba said in a post on X. 'On official platforms, Ukrainian orphans are displayed like products in an online marketplace.' Advertisement Kuleba called the database 'a slave catalog' and denounced it as 'digital trafficking.' 11 Mykola Kuleb says that Russia has kidnapped 1.6 million Ukrainian children since they invaded Ukraine in 2014. Courtesy of Save Ukraine Last week, in an exclusive interview with The Post, Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska made a special plea for the return of Ukrainian children as President Trump met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to hammer out an end to the conflict in Ukraine. 'For all Ukrainians, this is one of the most heartbreaking consequences of this war,' Zelenska said. 'The Russians took them — without consent, without records.' First Lady Melania Trump issued her own plea to Putin in a 'peace letter' handed to the Russian leader at the Alaska meeting. 'As parents, it is our duty to nurture the next generation's hope,' she wrote. 'As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few.' 11 Ksenia, 21, worked with the charity to get her teenage brother back. Courtesy of Save Ukraine 11 Ksenia with Mykola Kuleb and others invovled in the Save Ukraine charity. Courtesy of Save Ukraine Some siblings have taken matters into their own hands. Ksenia, 21, who only wanted to be identified by her first name, helped rescue her 13-year-old brother. Their situation was slightly different. They were both raised by the same foster parents, but — following a raid by soldiers on their home in Vovchansk in northeastern Ukraine — the parents decided to send the teenage brother with soldiers to be re-educated in Russia. 'They told him that Ukraine was full of Nazis who wanted to kill him,' Ksenia told The Post through the translator. 'When I saw him, he was completely brainwashed.' Upset by this, Ksenia began the 'challenging journey' of assembling the necessary documentation to remove her brother from the school he had been posted to, with the help of officials at Save Ukraine. At first, her brother was unsure about leaving Russia. But Ksenia said she was able to convince him to return to Ukraine for just a month at first, and then he could decide if he wanted to stay or go back. After spending time with his sister he decided to say and they both now live in the capital, Kyiv, where Ksenia is in her third year of a journalism degree. She said her experience in saving her brother inspired her choice of career. 'I want to find out the truth,' she said. 'I want to know about how the war has affected Ukrainian children.'