Russia Launches Massive Combined Air Assault Using New Shahed Drone Tactics

Russia launched a prolonged combined air attack against Ukraine on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian military intelligence and the Air Force. Officials said Russian forces used a new Shahed drone tactic near the Belarus border to overload Ukraine’s air defenses before potentially launching cruise and ballistic missiles targeting critical infrastructure and major cities. Make us preferred on Google Flip Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied A photograph taken on December 27, 2025 shows an Iranian-designed Shahed 136, (Geranium-2) drone used by Russian Army flying over Kyiv during a Russian drones and missiles attack, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Russia launched a prolonged combined air attack against Ukraine on Wednesday, May 13, while simultaneously deploying a new Shahed drone tactic aimed at overwhelming Ukrainian air defenses, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) warned that Russia initially deployed a large number of attack drones in an effort to overload Ukraine’s air defense systems and attack civilian infrastructure. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . The agency said Moscow could later launch a significant number of air- and sea-launched cruise missiles as well as ballistic missiles. “The targets of Moscow are critical infrastructure and life-support facilities in major cities, including energy facilities, defense industry enterprises, and government buildings,” HUR said. The agency added that Russia was attempting to pressure Ukraine after rejecting ceasefire proposals. Defense Ministry advisor Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov said Russian forces launched Shahed drones in dense formations near the Belarus border, with the drones flying at a distance of 5-10 kilometers (3-6 miles) from the border “literally one after another.” “The enemy is trying to overload our air defenses so that as many targets as possible break through deeper into the country toward the west,” Beskrestnov wrote on Telegram. He added that Russian forces constantly adapt their drone attack tactics and conduct reconnaissance of Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) systems and air defense positions before launching attacks. Other Topics of Interest Belarus’s Lukashenko: ‘We Are All Preparing for War’ Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced rotational mobilization and intensified combat training to prepare the military for possible war, citing the need for readiness for a “ground operation.” The move follows combat inspections and rising regional tensions, as Ukraine warns Russia may seek to further involve Belarus in the war along their shared border. “Our task is to predict the enemy’s moves,” he wrote. The Ukrainian Air Force reported multiple groups of Shahed drones flying across the country throughout the night and into Wednesday morning. According to the Air Force, drone groups were detected moving from the Chernihiv region toward the northern Kyiv region, while other drones moved from the Kyiv region toward the Zhytomyr region and further west toward the Rivne and Khmelnytskyi regions. Additional drone groups were launched from the Black Sea toward Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, with some later heading toward Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, and western Ukraine. Air defenses are operating in Odesa, regional governor Oleh Kiper said . The Air Force also warned of enemy drones approaching Kyiv from the north. Air raid alerts remained active across large parts of the country Wednesday morning as Russian drones continued entering Ukrainian airspace in waves. Russia has repeatedly changed its drone tactics throughout the war, including altering flight altitudes, attack routes, and launch patterns to complicate intercept efforts and exhaust Ukraine’s air defense resources. According to the Air Force, Russia launched 139 drones overnight , including Shahed drones, decoys and other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from multiple directions, including Russia and occupied Crimea. Ukraine’s air defenses shot down or electronically suppressed 111 drones by 8 a.m., the Air Force said. In Dnipropetrovsk region Russian overnight attacks killed eight people and injured 11 others. In the Poltava region, drones struck an electrical substation, leaving more than 6,500 people without power and damaging residential buildings. In Kharkiv, drone debris fell onto a road in the Shevchenkivskyi district, while an attack on infrastructure in the Kholodnohirskyi district sparked a fire. In the Odesa region, Russia carried out a mass drone attack on industrial infrastructure, damaging warehouse and utility buildings and causing fires, though no casualties were reported. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.