Ukrainian military expert analyzes Russian drone, munitions use in September

Kovalenko reported that Russian forces launched a total of 555 Shahed-131/136 (Gerbera) kamikaze drones at Ukraine during this period.

"Only 21 of these drones reached their targets, which means that 96% were intercepted and shot down," Kovalenko explained. The expert noted that the utilization rate of Shahed-131/136 drones has been notably high since the beginning of September. 

"For several months, the average usage rate was between 350 and 400 drones per month. However, August saw a significant increase, particularly in the latter half of the month leading up to Ukraine's Independence Day, setting a record with 789 drones used," Kovalenko said.

He emphasized that the statistics include both kamikaze drones and decoy drones, which are designed to distract Ukrainian air defenses.

"The exact proportion of each type remains unclear," he added.

In terms of FPV drones, Kovalenko reported a significant increase in their use.

"During the second week of September alone, Russian forces deployed over 6,000 FPV drones, averaging more than 400 per day. September has seen a record daily usage of over 700 FPV drones, and the total monthly count could exceed 12,000, surpassing the previous record of over 11,000 set in July," he said.

Regarding Lancet barrage munitions, Kovalenko observed that their usage did not set new records.

"The daily usage of Lancet munitions remained consistent at around 10 units or fewer," he noted.

• Ukrainian military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko commented on the start of a Russian counteroffensive in Russia's Kursk region.