Slaidiņš: Russia has stockpiled thousands of drones, mass strikes on Ukraine possible
Latvian military officer Jānis Slaidiņš warns that Russia may possess around 6,200 drones of various types, potentially enabling larger-scale attacks on Ukraine than seen so far. He also notes that limited production capacity will prevent Russia from sustaining such a pace for long.
Jānis Slaidiņš, a major in Latvia's National Armed Forces and an officer at the National Guard staff, said on TV24's programme "Aktuālais par karadarbību Ukrainā" that Russia has built up a significant stockpile of attack drones that could be used for massive strikes on Ukraine in the future.
Estimated drone numbers
According to Slaidiņš, Russia may currently have around 6,200 drones of various modifications at its disposal. In typical attacks, Russian forces usually deploy between 150 and 200 drones, though in some cases the number has reached as high as 300. Slaidiņš suggested that in a large-scale attack, Russia could theoretically launch between 600 and 1,000 drones of different types at once, placing significant strain on Ukraine's air defence systems.
Limits on production
At the same time, Slaidiņš pointed out that Russia's limited production capacity would prevent it from sustaining such a high launch tempo over an extended period. As a result, the intensity of attacks is likely to fluctuate considerably — with some days seeing a higher number of drones used and others considerably fewer.
Shift toward jet-powered drones
Slaidiņš also noted that Russia is increasingly focusing on developing jet-powered drones. This suggests that future drone attacks on Ukraine could become both more intense and more technologically complex, posing additional challenges for the country's defence systems.
