SATURATE AIR DEFENCES, CREATE FEAR
While Ukraine has shown its resourcefulness in using drones, Russia’s tactics have also evolved in recent months. Prior to September 2024, the average number of weekly drone launches was around 140, but over the past six months, this figure has peaked at about 1,100 per week.
On Tuesday, Russia reportedly launched 440 drones and 32 missiles, in one of the deadliest strikes on Kyiv since Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022.
By combining drones with more sophisticated ballistic and cruise missiles, Russia has been able to test the readiness of Ukraine’s air defence network. More importantly, this forces Ukraine to spend limited defence resources to intercept them, gradually eroding Ukrainian defensive capacity.
Iran appears to be adopting the same drone-and-missile strikes not only to saturate air defences, but also bring terror to the civilian population.
Despite Israel’s advanced air defence systems and US support, Iranian drones and missiles still managed to breach them, inflicting damage on civilian infrastructure and causing civilian casualties.
Civilians emerging from shelters after Iranian retaliatory attacks were reportedly shocked, with some asking how long the Iranian attacks would continue. There’s undoubtedly a psychological element to it too: Air raid sirens blare several times a day, and parts of the map are awash in red on alert apps.
