Russia launched over three hundred Iranian-made suicide drones in May, likely in an attempt to force Ukraine to deplete its advanced air defense missiles, the UK Defense Ministry said in a Monday morning intelligence update.
The launch of so many Shahed series unmanned aerial vehicles is "its most intense use of this weapons system to date," said the UK Defense Ministry.
"Russia is unlikely to have been notably successful," said the UK Ministry. "Ukraine has neutralized at least 90% of the incoming OWA-UAVs mostly using its older and cheaper air defense weapons and with electronic jamming."
The UK suggested that Russia had also been using the drones to locate and strike Ukrainian forces beyond the frontline.