Russian drone attacks at highest level since war began

In an intelligence update, the UK Ministry of Defence has provided insights into the escalating use of Russian drones in the conflict with Ukraine.

The MOD stated:

“During September 2024 Russia launched over 1,300 One Way Attack Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (OWA-UAVs) into Ukraine. This represents the highest number of OWA-UAVs launched in a month since the start of the conflict. Based on current rates it is almost certain that Russia will surpass that number in October 2024.

It is unclear whether Russia can sustain this rate through the remainder of 2024. However, Russia is almost certainly expanding its capacity to conduct large scale OWA-UAV attacks against Ukraine, supplementing Iranian supply with increasing domestic production.

Russia utilises its OWA UAVs against a multitude of targets, particularly energy infrastructure, given their ability to strike deep into Ukrainian territory, maintaining pressure on the Ukrainian Air Defence system.”

In a recent report, BBC News highlighted troubling evidence that Russian drones may be intentionally targeting civilians in Kherson, Ukraine. The report, authored by Yogita Limaye, recounts the tragic story of Serhiy Dobrovolsky, a hardware trader who was killed in his yard by a drone-dropped grenade.

His wife, Angela, shared the harrowing moment, describing how a single piece of shrapnel struck her husband fatally. The Kherson military administration reported a dramatic surge in drone attacks since July, resulting in over 30 civilian deaths and 400 injuries.

This investigation raises questions about whether Russia is using drones to target non-combatants in frontline areas. Eyewitness accounts and authenticated evidence suggest that civilians may indeed be in the crosshairs, which, if proven deliberate, would constitute a war crime. For further insights, the full BBC article provides a closer look at these allegations and the broader impact on the Kherson community.