Russia Extends Drone Attacks Deeper Into Western Ukraine, Expert Warns

Russia is extending its drone campaign deeper into western Ukraine, with aviation experts warning that Moscow is testing new methods to guide strike drones hundreds of kilometres further than before. The warning comes after a night of heavy attacks on October 16–17 that damaged energy infrastructure across the country, with western cities among those hit.

FAKTA

• Aviation analyst Bohdan Dolyntse says Russia is exploring new ways to extend the reach of its attack drones over western Ukraine.
• Relay stations on Belarusian territory or in Transnistria could bounce control signals to drones flying far beyond their usual range, the analyst said.
• Jet-powered drones carrying lighter warheads could travel up to 1,000 kilometres, he estimated.
• Ukrainian defences intercepted 60 to 80 percent of incoming drones in the latest attacks, according to Dolyntse.
• More than 320 drones and missiles struck over 15 energy facilities overnight on October 16–17, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Russian drone attacks Ukraine: new routes and relay stations

Dolyntse said Russian forces are testing flight routes that differ from the earlier paths across Ukraine’s northern border. He suggested that relay stations set up in Transnistria, the Moscow-backed breakaway region of Moldova, could help Russian operators steer drones deep into Ukrainian airspace. Ukrainian Air Force communications chief Yurii Ihnat has separately stated that Russia uses the airspace of Belarus, Moldova, Transnistria and Romania to route its drones around Ukraine’s strongest air-defence zones, where defences are thinner than on the front line.

Longer range, lighter warheads

According to Dolyntse, jet-powered drones could travel up to 1,000 kilometres if they carry less explosive weight and more fuel. Standard Shahed-type drones could gain 25 to 30 percent in range through the same trade-off, while some gasoline-powered models could fly hundreds of kilometres further than before.

Serhiy Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian presidential adviser known as “Flash”, has published estimated flight paths of recent drone raids near Moldova and Transnistria. He said Geran-4 drones flew about 820 kilometres to reach Lviv and roughly 880 kilometres to Lutsk, at speeds of 320 to 380 kilometres per hour. Other methods under development, Dolyntse added, include mobile-network mapping and on-board artificial intelligence.

Heavy overnight strikes on western cities

The expert warning follows one of the heaviest Russian barrages of the energy sector in recent weeks. Between the evening of October 16 and the morning of October 17, Russia launched more than 320 Shahed drones, loitering munitions, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles at Ukrainian cities and energy plants, Zelenskyy said. Western and central regions bore much of the impact: Lutsk lost grid power and officials warned of a blackout lasting at least a day, an industrial plant in Chortkiv in the Ternopil region was destroyed, and Poland scrambled military aircraft as strikes approached the border.

Energy crews worked through the night to restore power, and Ukraine’s energy ministry said more than a million consumers had supply reconnected by the morning of October 17. For more international news, visit Watan News.