Russia May Launch 2,000 Drones Simultaneously on Ukraine — German general

Russia is preparing to launch up to 2,000 drones simultaneously over Ukraine, according to German Bundeswehr Major General Christian Freuding.

He stated this in an interview with Nachgefragt, as cited by Ukrayinska Pravda.

Freuding stated that such a large-scale drone attack would pose a significant challenge to Ukrainian air defenses, particularly since high-cost systems like the Patriot are not well-suited for countering inexpensive drones.

A single MIM-104E Patriot missile costs about $5 million, while a Shahed drone costs roughly $150,000.

Similar cost disparities apply to other air defense systems, underscoring the need for affordable interceptors, he said.

Freuding also emphasized the importance of striking targets deep inside Russia, including military infrastructure such as airfields and factories.

Separately, Robert (Magyar) Brovdi, Commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, shared that Russia has already reached the capacity to launch up to 1,000 drones simultaneously. This has been enabled by increased production rates and stockpiling ahead of large-scale attacks.

According to Ukrainian data, Russia launched approximately 4,000 drones between July 1 and July 15, 2025.

The data also shows a pattern of accumulation: several days of low drone activity are typically followed by mass attacks, peaking at around 500 drones per day before declining again.

According to Mezha.media, citing Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Russia’s current production of Shahed-type drones has reached about 170 units per day. The figure is expected to rise to 190 by the end of the year.