Only three out of eight Russian Iskander-K cruise missiles launched at Ukraine on the night of 31 July were shot down. This raised questions about why Ukraine’s air defense, usually effective against Kalibr and Kh-101 missiles, failed to destroy most of them, Defense Express reports.

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The key reason is the element of surprise, say the military experts from Defense Express.

“Today’s launches of ‘Iskander-K’ were carried out from Russia’s Kursk Oblasy, practically right at the border, so there was very little time to react and deploy countermeasures,” the analysis states.

The land-based Iskander launchers are harder to detect than ships launching Kalibr missiles or bombers carrying Kh-101s, since those require more flight time and are detected by intelligence before launch.

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What is known about these missiles? 

Iskander-K is a general term for cruise missiles launched from the Iskander tactical missile system. These include the 9M728 (R-500) with a range up to 500 km and the 9M729 with a range up to 1,500 km. Both have a 480 kg warhead and fly at speeds up to 900 km/h.

This year, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate announced Russia’s approximate missile production rates. Currently, Russia can produce about 300 cruise missiles per month, including 20-30 Iskander-K. 

Russia’s drone strike tactics now pierce Ukrainian defenses at triple the previous rate, FT reports. With new swarming methods and high-altitude maneuvers, Russia’s Shahed drones are overwhelming Ukraine’s air defenses across key cities.

Drone swarms adapt to bypass Ukraine’s defenses

According to official Ukrainian air force data cited by FT on 21 July, the proportion of Shahed drones hitting targets rose from 5% to 15% between January–March and April–June. This sharp rise reflects a shift in Russia’s drone strike tactics—not a decline in Ukraine’s capabilities.

Moscow has retooled its drone operations, modifying Iranian-designed Shaheds—now manufactured in Russia under the Geran designation—to fly faster and at higher altitudes. These adaptations make them harder to intercept by truck-mounted machine guns and standard mobile fire units typically used by Ukrainian forces.

Yasir Atalan of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told FT the improvement “is not [because] the Ukraine air defence is getting worse,” but due to Russia’s new swarming methods and drones flying “in higher altitude, [which] makes them more effective.”

Record-breaking drone and missile assaults

Ukraine’s Air Force reported yesterday that Russia launched 426 Shahed-type attack drones in a single wave. On 9 July, Russian forces fired a record 728 units—combining drones, decoys, and cruise and ballistic missiles—in a coordinated saturation strike.

FT notes that by overwhelming the defense layers with sheer volume, Russia raises the strike success rate. According to Atalan, the increased scale of launches “saturates the defense systems which increases the hit rate.”

Domestic production fuels Russia’s drone blitz

Russia’s ability to domestically produce Shaheds in large numbers has given it a logistical edge. The Geran-3 variant—equipped with a turbo engine and capable of diving at speeds up to 800km/h—has reportedly been used against Kyiv in recent weeks, FT reports.

Ukraine’s defenses include jamming drone GPS guidance systems using electronic warfare, as well as employing machine guns and advanced anti-aircraft systems like Germany’s Oerlikon Skynex. Despite this, the average hit rate for drones remains around 15%, FT says.

Ukraine ramps up interceptor drone efforts

In response, Ukraine has increased efforts to counter the Shahed threat with domestically developed interceptor drones. On 10 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces were already “shooting down dozens of Shaheds” in each wave using these homegrown interceptors.

Earlier this month, Zelenskyy announced a partnership with Eric Schmidt, CEO of the US-based Swift Beat, to co-produce “hundreds of thousands” of drones for Ukraine’s defense, including those designed to intercept enemy drones.

Last week, Zelenskyy emphasized the success of these new systems, noting they “are achieving good results” and that “hundreds of Russian-Iranian Shaheds” had been destroyed in a single week.

Last night, Russia resumed full-scale aerial strikes after several quieter days, launching almost 350 drones and 35 missiles in one night. Ukraine intercepted more than 200 Russian drones and missiles overnight, but dozens still broke through, hitting homes, schools, and civilian infrastructure in several regions, according to local authorities. The Russian drone assault killed a woman in Odesa and injured six more civilians, including a child. Meanwhile, Russian forces continued their “human safari” in Kherson, injuring two civilian men with a small drone.

Russia overwhelms air defenses with 379 aerial weapons

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched a total of 379 aerial weapons overnight on 18–19 July. The strike included 344 Shahed-type drones and decoys, 12 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, eight Iskander-K cruise missiles, and 15 Kh-101 cruise missiles. Launches came from multiple directions: Bryansk, Kursk, Orel, Millerovo, Shatalovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, occupied Crimea, and from Russian aircraft over Saratov Oblast.

Despite the heavy interception effort, five missiles and 30 drones struck civilian and infrastructure targets in 12 locations, while drone debris fell and caused additional damage in at least seven more, the AF says.

Odesa drone strike kills woman, injures six

In Odesa, over 20 Shahed drones approached from different directions, local authorities reported. One hit a nine-story residential building, sparking a fire that engulfed the upper floors. Emergency services rescued five people from the building. One of the rescued victims, a woman, died from her injuries.

In total, the attack injured six civilians, including a child. Prosecutors opened a war crimes case under Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code. 

Pavlohrad hit by most massive strike since invasion

In Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russian forces launched over 100 drones and missiles at the city. Officials described it as the most massive strike on Pavlohrad to date. Explosions damaged a fire station, multiple industrial sites, a school, and a five-story residential building.

Regional head Serhii Lysak later confirmed that nine apartment buildings, a private home, and an educational facility were damaged. No injuries were reported.

Kyiv rooftop struck, but no casualties

In Kyiv, falling debris from an intercepted drone damaged the roof of a residential building in the Darniytskyi district. The Kyiv Military Administration reported no fire or injuries.

In Kyiv Oblast, the air defenders intercepted more than 20 drones. In the Vyshhorod district, a civilian car was damaged. No casualties were reported.

Shostka bombed with drones and guided munitions

In Sumy Oblast, Shostka came under attack for nearly four hours overnight, injuring locals. In the morning, Russian forces added guided air-dropped bombs to the assault. Six bomb strikes were confirmed on the Shostka community.

Mayor Mykola Noha confirmed infrastructure destruction, with damage to two apartment buildings and four private homes. No injuries were reported.

Infrastructure hit in Chernihiv Oblast

In Chernihiv Oblast, Shahed drone strikes damaged infrastructure in Nizhyn and the village of Vypovziv. Local officials confirmed three direct drone hits. No casualties were reported.

Blast shakes Zaporizhzhia

Suspilne reported an explosion, heard in several districts of Zaporizhzhia this morning. 

Russia’s “human safari” targets civilians in Kherson

Separate from the mass long-range drone and missile strike, a Russian drone deliberately attacked a private home in Kherson’s Korabelnyi district around 04:00. Two civilian men, aged 28 and 34, were wounded and hospitalized in moderate condition.

US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering providing Ukraine with powerful air-launched JASSM cruise missiles, according to Military Watch Magazine.

These missiles, capable of being launched from F-16 fighter jets, would significantly boost Ukraine’s ability to strike strategic targets deep behind Russian lines.

With a range of up to 370 km, a 450 kg warhead, and high-precision targeting, the JASSM could change the dynamics of Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

Only four countries operate this advanced weapon system, including Poland, which purchased 110 JASSMs for its F-16s. The US had previously denied such exports to allies like South Korea, underscoring the technology’s sensitivity.

Trump has already expressed support for delivering Patriot air defense missiles to Kyiv and hinted at broader arms transfers. 

Today, the Russians are receiving reinforcements for the start of the second wave of their summer offensive. Moscow concentrated 100,000 troops in Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast from the overall 700,000-strong Russian grouping.

Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including most of Luhansk Oblast, two-thirds of Donetsk Oblast, and parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Oblasts. Moscow illegally declared the annexation of the four oblasts as Russian following sham referenda in late 2022, while not fully controlling them.

France says Storm Shadow missile production at MBDA’s UK site restarts this year. The long-range air-launched missile has been actively used by Ukraine in strikes against Russian targets. 

SCALP/Storm Shadow production to resume in 2025 after long pause

France is restarting production of the Storm Shadow missile—known in France as SCALP EG—in partnership with the United Kingdom. French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that manufacturing will resume in 2025, 15 years after the last order. The missiles will be produced at MBDA’s facility in Stevenage, England.

Lecornu made the statement during a visit to the UK site alongside his British counterpart, John Healey on 9 July.

“Supplied to Ukraine, the Franco-British SCALP/Storm Shadow missile has demonstrated its effectiveness in modern high-intensity combat, in decisive situations,” he said.

The SCALP/Storm Shadow has played a prominent role in Ukraine’s defense against Russia, striking hardened targets far behind the front line.

MBDA reactivates line for joint missile project

The missile is manufactured by MBDA, a joint venture of France, the UK, Italy, and Germany. 

France’s Senate had outlined plans to order new munitions, including SCALP missiles, in December 2024.

Air-launched weapon designed to hit fortified targets

SCALP/Storm Shadow is a long-range air-launched cruise missile designed for deep strikes against heavily defended and fixed targets such as command bunkers. The missile weighs up to 1,300 kg, including a 450 kg warhead, and measures 5.1 meters in length.

The export version has a declared range of over 250 km, while domestic variants used by France and the UK can reach up to 560 km. The French and British models differ slightly in software and aircraft compatibility, but are otherwise identical.