Russia massively launching petrol-powered drones again, threat of attack throughout the day

The Air Force is warning of a threat of a massive attack by Russian strike drones throughout Monday 14 September, as they are once again launching large numbers of UAVs powered by internal combustion engines.

Source: Colonel Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, during the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote: "We are currently observing an attack by enemy strike UAVs on Odesa Oblast. The threat also remains, of course, for the northern regions. There is information that the enemy may attack today from both the north and the east. That is to say, a large quantity of enemy UAVs is available to be launched towards our country. Specifically, these are UAVs with internal combustion engines, non-jet-powered...

At present, the enemy has clearly expended large stockpiles of jet drones, having attempted to strike with them as much as possible in August. A certain number of conventional, classic Shaheds have evidently been accumulated... They have now been launched in several waves, primarily targeting western regions, likely because jet-powered ones lack the range to fly such long distances. A balance must be struck there between fuel capacity, warhead size, and so on. It is expected that these attacks may continue throughout the day."

Details: The officer added that defenders of Ukrainian airspace are doing everything possible to minimise Russian impacts (currently around 10%, compared to an approximate 90% interception rate).

Ihnat emphasised that all available forces and assets of the layered, integrated air defence system have been deployed to repel Russian air attacks.

When asked by a journalist regarding the reason for this shift in Russian tactics – deploying petrol-powered Shaheds again instead of jet-powered ones – the Air Force spokesperson noted: "Let us proceed from the understanding that the enemy is always planning an unexpected operation to catch our air defence off guard somewhere, utilising various types of munitions. This includes various types of missiles – ballistic, cruise and air-launched – as well as strike UAVs... The enemy is using all available means."

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