Over the past two years, the Russians have changed the tactics of air attacks on Ukraine, placing a key emphasis on UAVs, the Center for Countering Disinformation reports.
Points of attention
- Russia has shifted its tactics in airstrikes on Ukraine by increasing the use of drones fivefold in the past two years, as reported by the CCD.
- The Russian Federation now relies on massive “swarms” of cheap drones instead of expensive cruise missiles, with ballistic missiles targeting critical infrastructure.
- In 2025, Russia began utilizing Iranian Shahed drones for nightly attacks, overwhelming Ukrainian defenses and infrastructure.
Russia has increased the use of drones against Ukraine fivefold
It is noted that the Russian Federation has increased the use of drones fivefold, from 10,849 to 53,732 per year.
In addition, the number of ballistic and aeroballistic missiles used almost doubled, from 306 to 568.
At the same time, there is a decrease in the number of cruise, anti-aircraft, and aircraft missiles launched by Russia — from 1,645 in 2024 to 1,330 in 2025.
Analysts note that in 2024, the Russians used combined strike tactics with expensive cruise missiles as the main means of destruction, while drones were only an auxiliary means.
Instead, in 2025, the Russian Federation began using massive "swarms" of cheap drones as its primary means of attack. Cruise missiles are used for pinpoint strikes, and ballistic missiles are used for attacks on critical infrastructure.
Russia has relied on cheap war — mass-producing Iranian Shahed drones instead of expensive cruise missiles. This allows them to attack every night, exhausting Ukrainian missile defenses and energy infrastructure. At the same time, ballistic missiles are used in pinpoint strikes on critical objects.
