Hundreds of Russian Shaheds are descending on Ukraine in the daytime, signaling a new kind of warfare

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country came under siege from 1,567 drones and 56 missiles from Wednesday to Thursday, describing the assault as "massive and virtually continuous." Russia has been deploying its own version of the Iranian-designed Shahed. Ukraine showcased a Shahed 136 at an exhibition of Russian weapons in November."

"Where the Kremlin previously relied on attacking Ukraine with delta-wing Shaheds at night when they're harder to spot it's starting to deploy them in extended windows that last long into the day, forcing Ukrainians to shelter for hours or take their chances to go about their lives. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country came under siege from 1,567 drones and 56 missiles from Wednesday to Thursday."

"This week's bombardment was a "prime example" of the trend, said Igor Anokhin, a Ukrainian senior analyst who sifts through data on Russia's Shahed strikes for the Washington-based think tank Institute for Science and International Security. The latest salvo marks the fifth time that the Kremlin has used sustained strike periods this year, he told Business Insider."

""I wouldn't call this a fully established pattern yet, but it is clearly becoming a new operational model," Anokhin said. The first of these prolonged attacks was in late March, when Russia launched nearly 1,000 drones into Ukraine over 24 hours. Another notable example occurred in mid-April, when continuous drone and missile attacks lasted for 32 hours."

Ukrainian cities have faced near-continuous drone and missile strikes over the last two days, culminating in Russia’s largest and most sustained long-range attack in the war so far. The assault reflects a shift in Russian drone warfare, moving from night-only delta-wing Shaheds toward extended attack windows that continue into the day. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported 1,567 drones and 56 missiles from Wednesday to Thursday, describing the bombardment as massive and virtually continuous. Russia has increasingly deployed its own version of the Iranian-designed Shahed. Analysts describe this week’s bombardment as a prime example of a developing operational model, with multiple instances of sustained strike periods this year, including nearly 1,000 drones over 24 hours and continuous attacks lasting 32 hours. Russia also targets Ukraine’s electrical grid, worsening hardship during winter.

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