Ukraine Faces Growing Drone Threat as Russia Adds More Launch Bases

Russia has established three new drone launch sites, enhancing its ability to deploy large-scale Shahed drone attacks against Ukraine.

According to RBC-Ukraine sources, the newly added launch sites in the Sea of Azov port region of Primorsko-Akhtarsk bring Russia’s total to ten, potentially increasing the number of drones launched in a single wave.

In recent months, Moscow has refined its drone warfare tactics, launching swarms of both strike and decoy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.

During attacks, these drones maneuver unpredictably, flying at varying altitudes to evade radar detection. According to reports, Russia is capable of launching 100-200 drones per night, further straining Ukraine’s air defense systems.

Early in the morning on Wednesday, March 26, Russian forces launched 117 drones from four directions at targets across Ukraine. Ukrainian air defense units intercepted 56 UAVs, while 48 decoy drones failed to reach their targets.

The strikes affected multiple regions, including Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, and Cherkasy.

In central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian forces carried out what local authorities called the most massive kamikaze drone attack on the city since the start of the full-scale war.

The assault damaged an administrative building, warehouses, a company, and several vehicles.

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In the northeastern region of Sumy, a drone strike on Okhtyrka sparked fires and caused damage to residential buildings, a market, and an industrial facility.