In the first 11 months of 2024, the Armed Forces of Ukraine received 1.2 million drones, including 6,000 long-range UAVs such as the An-196 Liutyi and Firepoint. This achievement highlights the rapid development of Ukraine’s defense-industrial complex during a time of intensified war.
To put this into perspective, the number of long-range kamikaze UAVs delivered to Ukraine matches 6,000 Shahed drones russia produced by September 2024. While both nations reached similar production milestones, Ukraine’s deployment of these drones demonstrated far more significant strategic impact.
Read more: Capabilities and Specs of Ukraine's Ruta Drone: It May Seem New, But It’s Been Around
Russia’s Shahed-136/131 drones production, based at the Alabuga facility, achieved its target a year ahead of schedule, producing an average of 4,700 units annually. Despite this surge, the intensified use of the Shahed drones in air attacks has not led to higher strike success rates against Ukrainian targets.
In contrast, Ukraine’s Deepstrike long-range UAVs played a pivotal role in shifting the strategic balance. Notably, targeted Ukrainian drone strikes on russian oil refineries in spring 2024 dealt a blow equivalent to more than two years of sanctions. These operations also significantly reduced russian artillery shelling by disrupting ammunition depots, cutting the intensity of attacks by 1.5 times.
Read more: The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine: Western and Asian Components Fuel russia’s Upgraded Strike and Reconnaissance Drones
