The relentless buzz of the Shahed drone drives Ukraine to despair.

The Shahed bomb drone is a well-known player in the war in Ukraine. Manufactured by Russia under Iranian license with the name Geran, its use in long-range bombings has been daily since the first year of the invasion in 2022. However, it is in 2025 that it has become the cornerstone of Russian pressure against the Ukrainian rear. Its production is now massive, and its technology has advanced, putting Ukrainian defenses in a difficult position. Russia is currently launching three times the number of Shahed drones compared to six months ago. Its characteristic buzzing is now even common in central Kyiv. Previously, these drones could be easily shot down before reaching the outskirts of the capital and other cities in the rear, but now they arrive by the dozens.

One of the most discussed topics in Ukrainian media and military forums is: How to stop the new Shahed drones? The primary issue is the sheer number of units used in a single attack. Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, emphasized last week that while it was unheard of in 2024 for the enemy to use more than 100 in a single day, it is now the norm. In the 29 days of June, between 100 and 480 Shahed drones were launched on 15 nights, and more than 400 were used on five mornings. The intelligence services of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (GUR) estimate that the Russian industry is producing 170 long-range bomb drones in a single day, with projections to increase that to 190.

Russia is manufacturing the same number of Shahed and Garpiya [another drone with similar functions] in three days in 2025 as it did in a month in 2024, according to data from Ukrainian and Western military intelligence. This is why Ukrainian long-range drones are targeting production plants in Russia for these unmanned devices. However, the results are not sufficient, as pointed out on June 23 by Igor Romanenko, retired lieutenant general, on TSN, Ukraine’s main television news program: “We do not have enough long-range weaponry to destroy the production and storage centers of drones. If we launch 50 drones, 10 might reach the target, but they don’t do much damage to the Russians, they have many production centers.”

Kirilo Budanov, head of the GUR, indicated on June 7 in the military analysis outlet The War Zone that Russia had agreed with North Korea, one of its few international allies, to also produce these drones on North Korean territory.

A video went viral in October 2022 of a police officer shooting down a Shahed in Kyiv during the day with his assault rifle. Today, this image would be virtually impossible. First, because bombings now occur at night. And those early Shahed-136 drones were slower, flew lower, and had a more predictable trajectory.

One of the significant changes is altitude: these drones used to fly at very low heights to evade radar detection. Now, Russia opts to have them fly over three kilometers high to keep them out of range of anti-aircraft machine guns. Not only that, they also alter their trajectory during flight to confuse air defense systems and strike from different positions.

The new Shahed drones are also programmed with artificial intelligence to autonomously coordinate their attacks. The most advanced version does not move with a propeller engine but with a jet engine that increases its speed from 190 kilometers per hour to over 450. These jet-powered models are still a minority as they significantly increase the cost of the drone. It is estimated that the production cost of a basic Shahed ranges between 14,500 and 37,500 euros, a much lower expenditure for a long-range weapon than for a missile.

Ukraine does not use missiles to shoot them down due to the limited number of such armaments, like the American Patriots or the German Iris-T. One of the last military aid packages approved by former President Joe Biden included precisely 20,000 missiles specialized for shooting down drones. His successor, Donald Trump, halted their shipment to Ukraine and redirected them to the Middle East.

The so-called “mobile groups,” vans equipped with large-caliber machine guns placed on the drone’s flight path, have a 40% success rate in shooting down Shahed drones. This was detailed on June 22 by Oleksandr Sirskii, the head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Nevertheless, according to Sirskii, they remain the most important part of the air defense. To improve their effectiveness, retired Colonel Oleg Zhdanov explained on June 24 on TSN that higher-caliber machine guns are necessary. The problem is that there are very few units in the hands of Ukraine, and their most effective ammunition is also limited.

A military personnel from the air defense in Zaporizhia, in southern Ukraine, detailed this week to EL PAÍS, under anonymity, that the best way to shoot down the Shahed drones is with guns of a caliber greater than 20 millimeters, using proximity detonation of the projectile without needing to directly hit the target. This caliber can reach heights of two kilometers, as this military explained.

Higher-caliber anti-aircraft guns, like the German Gepard with 35-millimeter caliber, can reach altitudes of three kilometers; and the Soviet ZU-23 can reach over two kilometers. The Shahed drones, when close to their target, descend to an altitude of between 1,500 and 500 meters, as military analyst Alexander Kovalenko explained on his Telegram channel.

Dangerous mission for the F-16

Sirskii also confirmed that combat aircraft like the American F-16 or the Soviet MiG-29 are being used to intercept the drones. However, these operations pose a high risk for such valuable aircraft, of which Ukraine has few units. The Ukrainian Air Forces lost precisely one F-16 and its pilot early Sunday morning while intercepting an attack that involved over 470 drones and 60 missiles launched by Russia.

The priority option for Kyiv is to invest in interceptor drones. This was affirmed by Zelensky on June 21, establishing their effectiveness in shooting down Shahed drones at 70%.

Ukraine, according to its president, has signed agreements with Germany and Canada for large-scale production of interceptor drones. These devices are detonated remotely when they are near a Shahed. On bombing nights, they can be identified because they have a position light. This, according to the military personnel from Zaporizhia, is so that air defense units recognize them as friendly drones.

Another change, according to Zhdanov, is that now the enemy concentrates attacks on fewer targets. Dozens of Shahed drones rush toward their target to overwhelm air defenses. More than 80% of these drones are shot down, but a few manage to break through the barrier. The Russian army continues to conduct combined bombings to further saturate air defense systems: after several waves of Shahed, they launch cruise and ballistic missiles that hit the target area simultaneously with the drones.

Russia also employs Gerbers, a drone similar to the Shahed but not carrying explosives, as distraction drones. Their sole function is to fly and confuse the air defenses. Nearly half of the drones used by Russia in attacks are these distraction devices.

Another variation of the Shahed is that they are now more lethal. The Ukrainian army has identified a Shahed equipped with a thermobaric bomb and several with cluster munitions. Zhdanov adds that while they previously could carry 30 kilograms of TNT explosives, they can now carry 100 kilograms. This limits their range to between 700 and 1,000 kilometers, sufficient to be launched from Russia or occupied territories and reach most of Ukraine.

The devastation among the civilian population is increasingly severe. The last two major attacks on Kyiv resulted in 40 deaths. On June 24, a bombing in the city of Dnipro and its outskirts caused 20 deaths and 300 injuries. Russia claims that these civilian casualties occur because their homes are located near military targets.