Russia has shifted its drone strike tactics, making it increasingly difficult for Ukrainian air defenses to respond, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

The change comes amid a sharp escalation in Moscow’s drone campaign. Russia is now deploying high-altitude, dive-bombing Shahed drones at scale—reportedly producing thousands each month using Iranian designs and domestic facilities. These drones are increasingly hitting civilian targets, overwhelming defenses, and causing growing casualties and destruction.

In a major overnight assault, 15 Shahed drones struck Kharkiv, with two more hitting nearby areas. Eleven sites were hit within minutes, including three residential buildings.

Drones now fly higher before diving at targets

Syniehubov noted that the drones now fly at significantly higher altitudes before striking.

“Russian forces have changed tactics—they’re now launching drones at 4,000 to 5,000 meters, then dropping them sharply just before impact,” he wrote on Telegram.

The latest strike killed four people and injured 64 others, including children. Among the victims was a woman who died in hospital hours after her husband, both wounded in the same attack.

The Osnovianskyi and Slobidskyi districts sustained direct hits on apartment blocks, private homes, playgrounds, public transport, and key infrastructure. Fires were reported at several locations.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes as “cowardly” and “deliberate,” warning that such Russian attacks have become a grim daily occurrence.