Russia's Drone Barrage Ineffective Due to 'Poor Targeting Processes'—U.K.
Russia has been "very ineffective" in using drones to hit Ukrainian targets, British defense officials have said.
In May, Russia deployed over 300 Iranian-made Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) against Ukraine in its "most intense use of this weapon" so far in its full-scale invasion, the U.K. Ministry of Defense (MOD) said on Monday.
The aim was to force Kyiv to use up stocks of its advanced air defense missiles. However, Moscow is "unlikely to have been notably successful" due to Ukraine intercepting at least 90 percent of the drones using older and cheaper air defenses, as well as jamming the devices electronically, Monday's update said.
Moscow's forces have also likely been trying to locate and strike Ukrainian troops well behind the front line. However, Russian forces have been "very ineffective at hitting such dynamic targets at range because of its poor targeting processes."
Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry about the U.K. update which tends to emphasize Kyiv's gains and Moscow's losses.
Sunday saw Russia conduct the fourth consecutive day of drone and missile strikes across Ukraine. Kyiv said that Moscow's forces had launched five Shahed-136/131 drones from Russia's Bryansk oblast and six Khinzhal cruise missiles fired from Tupolov Tu-95 bombers over the Caspian Sea.
Ukrainian forces said they downed three Shahed drones and four cruise missiles. Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Colonel Yuriy Ihnat said two Russian missiles hit an airfield in Kirovohrad Oblast and that two Shahed drones struck targets in Sumy Oblast.
On Saturday, more than 30 Russian drones and missiles were shot down in Kyiv alone, the Ukrainian capital's military administration reported on Telegram.
Iran has denied that it is supplying the so-called suicide drones to Moscow for use in Ukraine, but British broadcaster Sky News said that it has obtained the first hard evidence that Tehran had been helping Moscow's war effort.
The 16-page document, dated September 14, 2022, appears to be for different kinds of artillery and tank shells and rockets worth just over $1 million as well as a $740,000 deal for barrels for a T-72 tank, a Howitzer artillery piece and ammunition shells.
A security source told Sky that this showed a contract between the Iranians and the Russians which "we believe it is 100 percent authentic."
Meanwhile, Russia said on Monday it had repelled a "major offensive" in Ukraine's Donetsk region and that 250 Ukrainian troops had been killed. Kyiv has not commented on the claims which have not been independently verified but which come amid anticipation of a Kyiv counteroffensive.
