Russia is increasingly using decoy drones with little or no explosives in an effort to overload Ukraine’s air defence systems, the British Defence Ministry said on Monday.
Between September and November, some 50% to 60% of Russian drones were merely decoys, the ministry said on X.
The decoys are smaller and cheaper than the Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones that Russia uses extensively.
Their deployment is intended to saturate and confuse Ukrainian radar, exhausting the country’s air defences.
“Some of the decoy systems still likely carry a small payload (up to 5 kg) of explosive, ultimately making them no less dangerous should they reach a target,” the British ministry continued.
In November alone, Russia deployed a total of 2,300 drones against Ukraine. The number has increased significantly every month since July.
It is likely that Russia will be able to continue to deploy at least 1,500 per month.
The British Defence Ministry has been regularly publishing information on the course of the war since Russia’s war of aggression began in February 2022. Moscow accuses London of spreading disinformation.
