Current weather conditions may complicate Russia's usage of kamikaze drones

Current windy weather conditions may limit Russia's usage of kamikaze drones for attacking Ukraine in the near future, Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for the Southern Operational Command, said on Jan. 30.

According to Humeniuk, Russia is unlikely to be able to use drones during the day due to the gusty winds now. However, at night, when the wind dies down, drones may still be effectively used, she said.

Russian forces have recently launched attacks on Ukraine with drones at night or in the early morning.

According to Humeniuk, Russia has developed a tactic where it first sends a wave of cheap Iranian-made Shahed drones to detect the locations of Ukraine's air defense systems and exhaust the air force, and then launches missiles.

Humeniuk noted that the effectiveness of Ukraine's air defense has increased to 75-80% in countering Russia's mass missile strikes.

Russia has launched more than 10 massive strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure since October, using dozens of missiles and drones at a time. These attacks killed dozens of civilians and severely damaged Ukraine's energy system, causing power, heating, and water cut-offs across the country and forcing the authorities to impose blackouts.

In its recent large-scale strike against Ukraine on Jan. 26, Russia fired 55 missiles, 47 of which were shot down, according to Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces.

Russia has admitted that Ukraine's critical infrastructure is one of its primary targets. According to the Geneva Conventions, attacking vital public infrastructure is a war crime.

Ukraine war latest: Russian mass strike kills 11 across Ukraine, Moscow intensifies offensive in the east

The Kyiv Independent