Destroyed in a drone strike: Belgorod, Russia, following a Ukrainian attack
The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has seen a significant escalation, with the conflict now involving the use of combat drones by both sides. In a new development, Ukraine has been employing combat drones as part of its defense against the Russian invasion, targeting Russian territory, including civilian areas and infrastructure.
Between January and May 2025, Ukrainian drone strikes have caused over $10 billion in damage to Russian targets. This represents a sharp increase in drone warfare impact compared to earlier years, when drone attacks numbered only in the dozens per month. According to recent reports, some months in 2025 have seen over 2,000 drone strikes, indicating a dramatic surge in usage.
These attacks have targeted major Russian cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as regions like Belgorod, Voronezh, Smolensk, and annexed Crimea. The attacks have forced temporary flight restrictions at key airports like Moscow's Vnukovo and St. Petersburg's Pulkovo, causing flight delays and operational disruptions.
The human impact on Russian civilians has been severe in some areas. For instance, a drone strike in Belgorod reportedly resulted in multiple civilian casualties, with at least three people killed and several injured in one recent attack. In the Voronezh region, a drone crash into a residential building caused injuries to three people.
The frequency and intensity of Ukrainian drone strikes have created persistent fear among Russian civilians and soldiers, who have come to dread the distinct buzzing sound of drones overhead. This fear underscores both the psychological and physical toll the drone campaign has had on Russian society.
Russian defenses have been actively countering these attacks, with Russian forces frequently shooting down large numbers of Ukrainian drones using air defense systems and electronic warfare measures. Despite this, drones are still regularly penetrating airspace to strike at sensitive targets.
Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov of Belgorod, Russia, made an announcement about a drone strike on Telegram, reporting a civilian death and five injuries in Belgorod from shrapnel wounds caused by the drone strike.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, now in its fourth year, has transformed into a central part of the ongoing hostilities, with Ukraine leveraging drone technology to impose substantial costs on Russian targets deep inside Russian territory. The drone war is now a crucial aspect of the conflict, causing extensive damage to Russian military and civilian infrastructure, inflicting significant casualties among Russian civilians, and disrupting daily life, particularly in border and major urban regions.
In the fourth year of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the use of combat drones has become a significant aspect of the ongoing war-and-conflicts. This escalation in drone warfare is dominating the general-news, with Ukraine's drone strikes causing extensive damage to Russian cities, infrastructure, and civilian areas, resulting in crime-and-justice issues such as civilian casualties.
