20,000 people chose to be part of the Kyiv Independent community — thank you.

Skip to content
Edit post

Over 200 Russian drones shot down by US-funded mobile fire teams since January, US ambassador reports

by Sonya Bandouil November 3, 2024 9:09 PM 1 min read
Remain of Shahed 136 at an exhibition showing remains of missiles and drones that Russia used in the attack on Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine on May 12, 2023. (Oleksii Samsonov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said on Nov. 3 that the U.S. State Department has funded 800 mobile fire teams in Ukraine, which have shot down over 200 Russian drones since Jan. 2024.

“The mobile fire teams are saving lives with their successful work, protecting people and critical infrastructure being attacked by Russia,” she wrote on X.

The mobile fire teams, consisting of personnel from Ukraine's National Guard and State Border Guard Service, are funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

Moscow has recently ramped up drone strikes, while dialing down the use of more powerful and harder-to-intercept cruise and ballistic missiles.

Russia has launched thousands of cheap but effective Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones against Ukraine since the fall of 2022.

According to Ukraine's Air Force, 1,339 Shahed-type kamikaze drones targeted the country in September, 1,107 of which were shot down, with some others being jammed by electronic warfare and flying into Russian or Belarusian airspace.

Zelensky calls for tougher sanctions as Russia launched 2,000 drone attacks on Ukraine in October using foreign-made parts
“This volume of ‘Shahed’ drones means over 170,000 components that should have been blocked from reaching Russia,” Zelensky said in his evening address. “Microchips, microcontrollers, processors, and many other parts are essential for enabling this terror.”

Independent journalism needs a community —
not a paywall.

We’re working hard to show the world the truth of Russia’s brutal war — and we’re keeping it free for everyone, because reliable information should be available to all.

More than 20,000 people chose to stand behind us. We’re deeply grateful and overwhelmed with your support. Thank you for making it possible.

Let´s see how far we can go?

News Feed

6:39 PM

France to produce drones in Ukraine, minister says.

"We are going to embark on a completely unprecedented partnership where a large French car company – I won't name it because it's up to them to announce it – will join forces with a French defense SME (small to medium-sized enterprise) to equip production lines in Ukraine to be able to produce drones," French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.