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​The UK Defense Intelligence: russia Deploys 1,700 OWA UAS, Marking the First Decline Since Spring 2024

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Illustrative image / Photo credit: The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Illustrative image / Photo credit: The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

1,700 OWA UAS were launched into Ukraine, down from 2,300 in November, with 53% neutralized by Ukrainian defenses

russia launched approximately 1,700 one-way attack unmanned aerial systems (OWA UAS) of varying types into Ukraine in the month of December 2024, a decrease from November’s total of 2,300. This was the first time that a decline in numbers has been seen since March to April 2024. It is likely that weather factors impacted operations early in the month, possibly evidenced through several nights of waves greater than 100 OWA UAS that followed periods of particularly low or no activity, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.

Illustrative image Defense Express The UK Defense Intelligence: russia Deploys 1,700 OWA UAS, Marking the First Decline Since Spring 2024
Illustrative image / Photo credit: The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that 53% of russian OWA UAS were shot down, while the remainder were disrupted using electronic warfare or had already flown off course without causing significant threat. Various factors can impact the monthly launch rates positively or negatively, however it remains likely that russia can sustain numbers in excess of at least 1,500 per month.

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