Russia intends to simultaneously launch up to 2,000 drones on Ukraine, said German Major General Christian Freuding.
Source: Freuding on the Bundeswehr’s Nachgefragt podcast on Saturday 19 July
Details: Freuding has information that Russia is significantly expanding its production capacity to enable mass drone deployment in the war against Ukraine. He said Moscow plans to launch 2,000 drones at once, which could overwhelm Ukrainian air defence systems.
The general stressed the need to develop "smart countermeasures", as the use of conventional means – in particular, missiles from the Patriot air defence system – is not a logical response to Shahed drones, which cost €30,000–€50,000, while a single Patriot missile costs over €5 million.
In Freuding’s assessment, Ukraine needs low-cost counter-drone solutions priced at €2,000–€4,000 to effectively repel large-scale attacks.
Freuding also named strikes deep inside Russian territory – targeting military aircraft, airfields and defence factories – as another necessary response to the drone threat.
He further pointed out that China has ceased supplying drone components to Ukraine and now exclusively exports to Russia.
"Right now, the situation is that China is effectively exporting solely to Russia, while Ukraine has been shut out of this market," Freuding said.
Stormz0rz on July 20th, 2025 at 13:58 UTC »
Many of those 2000 will be dummy drones designed to exhaust air defense systems. No explosives, cheap.
The real danger comes from follow-up cruise missile strikes that now have less risk of being intercepted.
Ukraine has started putting up listening posts all along the front that can us A.I. to identify drones by sound. This lets them prioritize to a degree but doesn't help with the sheer volume.
Dumbdadumb on July 20th, 2025 at 12:40 UTC »
What we need is a big net at the border a big glorious net. And I should know I know nets and we will have the Russians pay for it
NickZardiashvili on July 20th, 2025 at 12:28 UTC »
As far as my layman understanding of military goes, the best way stop these sort of attacks are preventative strikes on drone storage facilities and drone industrial production. Trying to shoot down thousands of drones with costly AA systems is a difficult model to maintain for an extended time. More of a reason to give Ukraine long rang weapons and make their air force superior.