Russia conducted its second-largest missile and drone attack on Ukraine since the start of its invasion in 2022, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) whose graph illustrate the response to Kyiv’s drone barrage on Russian military airfields.
The Washington, DC think tank’s figures showed how Russia’s drone assault overnight Thursday on Ukraine had only been surpassed on May 31. There had been anticipation over how Moscow would respond to Kyiv’s Operation Spiderweb, which was dubbed by pro-Kremlin bloggers as “Russia’s Pearl Harbor.”
The figures did not include Friday’s overnight strikes on Kharkiv. Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for innovation, education, science and technology, told Newsweek about plans to scale up an AI-controlled air defense turret to down Russian projectiles.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
Kyiv braced for a Russian response to Operation Spiderweb, and Russia responded by firing missiles and drones over all of Ukraine Thursday.
The ISW figures could signal further Russian drone barrages, which, if they drag out peace negotiations, could see the U.S. impose a new set of tough sanctions.
What To Know
Ukraine’s Air Force reported on Friday that, the previous night, Russian forces launched 452 projectiles, including 407 Shahed and mock drones, across the country; Kyiv said these injured at least 49 people and killed three.
Russia also launched six Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles and 36 Kh-101 cruise missiles, as well as two Iskander-M cruise missiles and one Kh-31P anti-radar missile.
While air defenses thwarted most missiles and drones, Russian strikes hit 19 locations across Ukraine, including high-rise buildings, and energy infrastructure in the cities of Kyiv, Lviv, Ternopil, Chernihiv, and Kremenchuk.
The ISW graph showed nearly a fivefold increase in the size of Russia’s drone and missile attack on Thursday compared with the previous day. It also highlighted how the only bigger barrage was on May 31 when 479 projectiles were launched.
Ukraine is continuing to innovate and expand its air-defense umbrella to counter the growing threat posed by Russian missiles and drones.
Ukraine’s Sky Sentinel AI-Powered Air Defense
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for innovation and military personnel, told Newsweek that Russian Shahed drones have significantly evolved; they are equipped with more-powerful engines and complex communication systems, flying at higher speeds and lower altitudes.
This makes them harder to jam and intercept with older air-defense methods, which is why Ukraine is try to innovate to neutralize these upgraded threats.
Fedorov said Ukrainian engineers have developed an AI-controlled air defense turret called Sky Sentinel; this can down Shahed-136 drones, smaller UAVs, and even cruise missiles.
Once synced with radar and deployed, the AI locks onto targets, calculates their speed and trajectory, and fires. Its precision and automation features means it needs only half as many units to defend cities as compared with the number of mobile groups currently involved, Fedorov added.
UNITED24, a Ukrainian government-run platform that funded the prototypes of the Magura naval drones that dealt a blow to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, is launching a $1.5 million fundraiser to produce the first 10 turrets. These can protect large areas at lower cost freeing up high-precision missiles for more critical targets.
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X: “Over 400 drones and more than 40 missiles—including ballistic missiles—were used in today’s attack.”
He added: “Russia must be held accountable for this.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Operation Spiderweb gave Putin “a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them.”
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, told Newsweek: “Russian Shahed drones have significantly evolved. They’re now equipped with more powerful engines and complex communication systems, flying at higher speeds and lower altitudes.
“That’s why we’re constantly looking for innovative solutions that can effectively neutralize these upgraded threats before they reach cities or critical infrastructure.”
What Happens Next
Thursday’s strikes by Russia were followed up with a bombardment of Kharkiv. However, pro-Russian military bloggers say that, so far, Moscow’s response was not proportional to the damage caused by Operation Spiderweb, which they compared with Japan’s Pearl Harbor attacks of 1941.
However, Russia’s next move in continuing drone strikes could be tempered by bipartisan U.S. legislation that seeks to impose tough sanctions if Moscow drags out peace negotiations.
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