According to Kovalenko, russian forces launched 555 Shahed-131/136 kamikaze drones at Ukraine during this period.
"Only 21 of these drones reached their targets, meaning 96% were intercepted and shot down," Kovalenko stated. He highlighted that the drone usage rate has surged since early September.
Read more: russia Hits Targets with Standard FPV Drones at 40 km Range: How They Achieve It and Ukraine’s Counter Developments
"For months, the average was 350 to 400 drones per month. However, August saw a sharp rise, particularly around Ukraine's Independence Day, with a record 789 drones deployed," Kovalenko noted, adding that the figures include both kamikaze and decoy drones used to divert Ukrainian air defenses.
"The exact proportion of each type remains unclear," Kovalenko added.
He also reported a substantial increase in the use of FPV drones by russian forces.
"In just the second week of September, over 6,000 FPV drones were deployed, averaging more than 400 per day. Daily usage even peaked at over 700, and the monthly total could exceed 12,000, breaking the previous record of over 11,000 set in July," he explained.
Conclusions
"The first two weeks of September have shown an extremely high intensity in the use of Shahed-131/136 drones, hinting at a potential new monthly record. However, it is too early to draw conclusions, as the remaining two weeks could differ significantly in terms of the intensity of these weapons' usage.
During this same period, there has been an increase in the deployment of FPV drones, which could be attributed to the expanded operational area (Kursk region) and the activation of electronic warfare units in several locations across the war zone in Ukraine," he observed.
As for Lancet barrage munitions, Kovalenko noted that their usage remained steady without breaking any records.
Daily deployment of Lancet munitions held steady at around 10 or fewer units.
Read more: Ukraine's FPV Drone Intercepts russian Lancet Loitering Munition (Video)
