Russo-Ukrainian war, day 928: Ukraine develops three-phase drone strategy to counter Russian UAVs by 2025

Military

Zelenskyy: Russia drops over 800 bombs and launches 300 drones on Ukraine in one week. Meanwhile, Ukrainian air defense forces successfully downed 15 Shahed drones and a Kh-59 missile overnight.

UK intel: Russia makes tactical gains near Donetsk’s Vuhledar, threatening further advances. Russian forces made tactical gains near Vuhledar, taking control of nearby villages. Continued advance attempts toward the town are anticipated in September, per UK intelligence.

Russian attacks killed at least 10 in Ukraine as civilian areas bear brunt of Russian military aggression. Over the past day and night, Russian artillery and air strikes hit multiple Ukrainian regions, causing at least 10 civilian deaths and 36 injuries. Regional officials report damage to residential areas and infrastructure, with most incidents occurring in Sumy, Donetsk, Kherson, and Kharkiv Oblasts.

Russian explosive drones again cross into NATO’s Romania, Ukraine destroys majority during night attack. Russia’s Shahed drones breached Romanian airspace during an attack on Ukraine, as Romanian authorities alerted border regions. Ukraine’s Air Force reported downing 15/23 Shaheds, 1 of 4 Kh-59 missiles, with two more drones crashing and three missiles missing targets.

As of 8 SEP 2024, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:

• Personnel: 625260 (+1270)
• Tanks: 8636 (+4)
• APV: 16897 (+19)
• Artillery systems: 17804 (+30)
• MLRS: 1180 (+2)
• Anti-aircraft systems: 942
• Aircraft: 368
• Helicopters: 328
• UAV: 14864 (+80)
• Cruise missiles: 2588
• Warships/boats: 28
• Submarines: 1
• Vehicles and fuel tanks: 24218 (+47)

Intelligence and technology

Bild: Ukrainian interceptor UAVs against Russo-Iranian Shahed drones planned for 2025. Ukraine is developing a three-phase drone strategy to counter Russian UAVs. The plan evolves from reprogrammed quadcopters to fixed-wing interceptors, with the goal of deploying long-range “Shahed killers” by 2025, per Bild sources.

UK’s Shapps urges Starmer to let Ukraine strike Russia with Storm Shadows. Ex-UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps calls for authorizing Ukraine to strike Russia with British Storm Shadow missiles. He argues that authorized Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil are essential for maintaining pressure on Putin.

Iranian MP confirms missile shipments to Russia, defying official denials. Iranian lawmaker Ardestani acknowledges ballistic missile deliveries to Russia, contradicting Iran’s official denials after the media reported Tehran’s short-range missile shipments to Russia.

Ukraine’s intelligence launches cyberattack on Russian war-linked resources. Ukraine’s military intelligence agency says it carried out a cyberattack on Russian resources involved in the war effort, with the operation targeting several companies producing electronic components and military infrastructure, resulting in data destruction, server access, and website defacement.

International

Russian drone incursions into NATO territory raise alarms in Romania and Latvia. Russian drones violated NATO airspace over Romania and Latvia, prompting swift military responses and concerns over Moscow’s growing reach beyond Ukraine.

Media: Scholz calls for renewed peace effort in Ukraine. This follows Ukraine’s first Peace Summit in Switzerland, where leaders outlined a framework for negotiations.

Zelenskyy discusses Ukraine’s victory plan with US Congress delegation in Italy. In talks with a US Congressional delegation, Zelensky emphasized the urgency of bolstering Ukraine’s defenses.

Portuguese foreign minister advocates for Ukraine’s EU inclusion. Portugal pushes for Ukraine’s EU membership as Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel urged swift action and reform to prepare the EU for Ukraine’s membership, per Bloomberg.

US, UK spy chiefs praise Ukraine’s Kursk incursion, say West shouldn’t fear Russia’s nuclear threats. CIA Director Burns and MI6 Chief Moore commend Ukraine’s “audacious” incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast and stress the importance of sustained Western support. Burns says there was a “genuine risk” of Russia using tactical nukes in fall 2022.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russian troops shell civilian infrastructure in Kherson Oblast, killing one civilian and injuring nine. The attacks damaged critical infrastructure, medical facilities, and residential areas, including apartment buildings and private homes, according to regional authorities.

Political and legal developments

Anxiety among Russians soars to 49% amid Ukraine’s incursion in Kursk Oblast. Meanwhile, the Russian presidential administration is preparing citizens for a prolonged operation in Kursk Oblast.

Ukraine’s new Foreign Minister urges allies to lift restrictions on long-range weapon use against Russia. Sybiha argues that international law, particularly UN Charter Article 51, allows Ukraine to strike legitimate military targets in Russia as part of its self-defense efforts.

Read our earlier daily review here.