Up to 1,000 Russian drones may attack Ukraine at once – media

This was reported by The Economist.

The report notes that last year, the Kremlin produced around 300 Shahed-type 'kamikaze' drones per month. Now, Russia is capable of producing that number in less than three days.

According to Ukrainian military intelligence, Russia plans to ramp up drone production to 500 units per day. That would allow it to launch drone swarms of up to 1,000 at a time.

Ukrainian aviation expert Konstantin Kryvolap cautions that this number may be exaggerated, as Russia’s defense industry often “runs on bluster and false reporting.”

“But it’s clear the numbers are going to increase significantly,” he said.

The expert added that even if Ukraine manages to stabilize the eastern front, the threat from the sky will only get worse.

Claims of Shahed upgrades disputed: expert refutes The Economist

The media cited unnamed engineers who claimed the latest Shahed models are unaffected by Ukrainian electronic warfare. This, they said, is because the drones no longer rely on GPS, which can be jammed. Instead, they are controlled by artificial intelligence and use their own internet or mobile network connections.

The Economist also reported that a note was allegedly found inside the hull of one drone being dismantled. It was said to be from a Russian engineer and hinted at a new control system using bots in the Telegram messenger. According to the report, the bots send flight data and live video to operators in Russia.

Ukrainian military radio tech expert and technical blogger Serhiy Flesh (Beskrestnov) responded to the claims, denying reports of such upgrades in the Shaheds.

He specifically said that Russian Shaheds are not remotely controlled via Telegram and do not stream video through Ukrainian mobile networks. He added that the drones do not contain artificial intelligence and still rely on satellite navigation, making them vulnerable to electronic warfare.

“No one has ever found a single note from Alabuga left by 'friendly engineers from the Russian Federation',” said Serhiy Flesh.

“Shahed drones carry a tracker that sends location and flight data — like speed and altitude. This data is sent through a Telegram bot. Mobile networks and SIM cards are used for transmission. The SIM cards can be Russian, Ukrainian, or from other countries. We find hundreds, sometimes thousands, of these modems and SIM cards in the wreckage. Knowing this, we block Shaheds from using our mobile networks. Once again: Shaheds are not remotely piloted. They don’t have that capability. They’re just trying to transmit their location,” the expert explained.

• On the evening of Sunday, May 25, the Russian occupation forces launched strike drones over Ukrainian territory.