OT:New Innovation on Drone Warfare

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Russia’s medium-sized strike drones are flying smaller drones into battle, Ukrainian soldiers say.

The fixed-wing “Molniya” drones can carry one or two first-person-view (FPV) quadcopters.

The tactic extends the reach of Russia’s FPV drones.

The tactic, while not a new phenomenon, has become a growing concern for Ukrainian forces because it enables the FPVs to operate and strike at greater depths. The war has featured other types of mothership-style drone carriers, but Russia only recently started using the Molinya for this purpose, soldiers said.

The Molniya can also carry an explosive payload, allowing it to function as both a mothership and a strike drone

“They’re cheap, there’s a lot of them, and so they can use them any time — at any moment — they want,” the soldier added.

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From the National Security Journal

Where Does Russia Get Its Seemingly Endless Supply of Drones? Key Points and Summary - Russia sustains its massive drone attacks on Ukraine by domestically producing a modified version of Iran’s Shahed drone, now known as the Geran-2.

-Despite sanctions, Moscow sources necessary electronic components through third countries like Malaysia and Kyrgyzstan, allowing it to manufacture these low-cost drones in large numbers.

The core Russian strategy is to overwhelm and exhaust Ukraine’s more expensive air defense systems with “kamikaze” swarms.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/world/europe/russia-ukraine-drone-attacks-production.html
This month, in just one night, Russia sent more than 800 exploding drones and decoys swarming across the border.

The drastic increase is a result of huge production jumps in Russia for one-way attack drones, which are prioritized by President Vladimir V. Putin and are now being assembled domestically at two main facilities. The Kremlin has also pressed through big manufacturing increases in the smaller tactical drones that Russia uses on the front line, enlisting Russian regional governments, factories and even high school students in the push.

Russia’s supply surges, combined with new technology and tactics, have created a colossal challenge for Ukraine, which enjoyed an advantage in drone warfare early in the war that Moscow has eroded.

Russia has so far sent more than 34,000 attack drones and decoys into Ukraine in 2025, nearly nine times the number from the same period last year, according to the Times data set. Of the drones Moscow has deployed this year, Ukraine said it had knocked down 88 percent by shooting them or electronically scrambling them. That figure is down from the nearly 93 percent Kyiv reported in 2024.

Moscow is sending the attack drones in swarms, or waves, and routing them in confusing paths to divert attention from actual targets. It is sending many more decoys, made of painted foam and plywood, which sometimes contain small warheads and are indistinguishable from actual drones in the sky.

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