russia launched another large-scale overnight drone attack against Ukraine on May 13, deploying more than 200 strike unmanned aerial vehicles in an attempt to overwhelm the country's air defenses. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the majority of the drones were either shot down or suppressed by electronic warfare systems during the attack.
Footage released by the Ukrainian Air Force showed the intensity of the overnight battle in the skies. The video captured mobile fire groups engaging incoming drones with heavy machine guns while surface-to-air missile systems launched interceptors against aerial targets approaching Ukrainian territory.
Read more: Ukraine Destroys russian Chernyi Glaz, Shtora, Volna Systems and Six Relay Antennas on the South Slobozhanske Axis (Video)
The scale of the attack demonstrates that russia continues to rely heavily on mass drone strikes as a central element of its long-range pressure campaign against Ukraine. Shahed-type loitering munitions remain one of Moscow's primary tools for targeting infrastructure, exhausting Ukrainian air defenses, and forcing constant readiness across multiple regions of the country.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Air Force noted an important operational development: after a three-day pause, russian tactical aviation resumed combat operations. Russian aircraft reportedly returned to launching guided aerial bombs against Ukrainian positions, signaling that Moscow is once again combining different strike methods in coordinated attacks.
As Defense Express previously reported, Ukraine's air defense forces have showcased the combat work of the STASH mobile air defense missile system, a compact anti-drone platform designed to hunt russian Shahed-type loitering munitions and other low-altitude aerial threats.
Read more: From Patriot to STASH: Ukrainian Crew Adapts to New Mobile Anti-Drone Warfare (Video)
