“Shahed” drones and other UAVs: How many attack drones Russia has built up
Russia could launch especially heavy attacks this winter, with an arsenal of around 2,000 strike drones.
Drones
Russia’s occupying forces may be preparing for exceptionally heavy strikes this winter, having stockpiled around 2,000 attack drones.
According to Ukrainian experts, Russia’s occupying forces have built up a large drone arsenal for winter attacks on Ukraine, with roughly 2,000 UAVs now ready for deployment.
The assessment was shared on Telegram by Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, a well-known Ukrainian expert in electronic warfare and communications systems.
“Right now, the Russians have about 2,000 drones at their disposal, including roughly 1,400 Shaheds. These could be launched in two or three massive barrages or used more steadily throughout the winter,” Beskrestnov said.
The expert also warned of an unprecedented threat level faced by Ukraine’s air defenses. The largest drone strike so far occurred this autumn:
“The enemy launched a maximum of 750 UAVs in a single day. This happened on September 7, 2025,” he noted.
He added that this figure does not include reserve UAVs that could be used on top of that.