Russian forces launched over 300 attack drones on Ukraine on 13 September

What Happened

Russian forces launched 323 attack drones against Ukraine on 13 September between 06:30 and 18:00, including 14 jet-powered drones, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that air defence assets shot down or jammed 310 of the drones, including nine of the 14 jet-powered drones, and recorded hits by ten enemy attack drones. Russian forces also used approximately 10 Banderol/Dan-T drone-launched missiles, with information still being gathered, and several attack drones remained in Ukrainian airspace as of 18:00.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The large-scale drone attack is part of Russia's sustained aerial campaign to attrite Ukrainian air defences, probe defensive coverage, and target infrastructure or military assets. The claimed interception rate of 310 out of 323 drones is high, but the Ukrainian Air Force itself recorded ten hits and reported additional drone-launched missiles, indicating the attack still achieved some penetrations. The use of jet-powered drones and Banderol/Dan-T munitions suggests an evolving Russian attempt to complicate Ukrainian air defence response times and saturation points.

Watch For

Monitor Ukrainian Air Force follow-up reports detailing damage from the ten recorded hits and any impacts of the Banderol/Dan-T drone-launched missiles. Watch for Russian Ministry of Defence statements on the strikes, and for subsequent daily drone attack patterns to assess whether this volume of 323 drones represents an escalation or a new baseline. Also note Ukrainian General Staff assessments of any casualties or infrastructure damage.