Relentless human hunting is becoming a reality in Russia’s war. It is not just about the eastern cities that border Russia but also settlements in the west of Ukraine, warns Ukrainian public figure and head of the Center for Aerial Reconnaissance Support, Maria Berlinska.
Russia now produces around 2,700 Shahed drones per month, allowing for massive, coordinated swarm attacks. These assaults often involve hundreds of drones, with some exceeding 300 or even 400 drones at once. The warhead on the
Relentless human hunting is becoming a reality in Russia’s war. It is not just about the eastern cities that border Russia but also settlements in the west of Ukraine, warns Ukrainian public figure and head of the Center for Aerial Reconnaissance Support, Maria Berlinska.
Russia now produces around 2,700 Shahed drones per month, allowing for massive, coordinated swarm attacks. These assaults often involve hundreds of drones, with some exceeding 300 or even 400 drones at once. The warhead on the Shahed-136 drone has also been nearly doubled from 50 kg to 90 kg. Some drones are now equipped with advanced cameras, AI-powered computing platforms, and radio links.
“Everyone is afraid of Shaheds and missile strikes right now. But Shaheds and missiles strike specific coordinates. There’s something far more dangerous, thousands of drones above cities, operating in a constant hunting mode,” she says.
Berlinska warns that this will become our reality as early as 2026. It will affect not only Sumy, Dnipro, and Kharkiv but also Lviv and Chernivtsi.
“Thousands of killer drones that will be hunting humans 24/7. I know it sounds like a dystopian horror film but this is our reality, as I see it, already next year,” believes Berlinska.
She believes countermeasures exist: automatic turrets, anti-aircraft drones, electromagnetic, and laser-based systems. Berlinska urges both central and local authorities to start seeking solutions now.
The expert also admits that very few are seriously preparing for this threat.
Berlinska reminds that 2026 is only six months away and calls on Ukrainians to ask: who will be held responsible when people in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, and other cities are forced to live on the run and in basements, under constant threat from Russian drones?
Earlier, she noted that by the end of May 2025, Ukraine had entered a stage where it was increasingly falling behind Russia in the tech race. While parity remains in some areas, Russia is gaining the upper hand overall.
The Russians have built a national policy, mobilized tens of thousands of top engineers into the military-industrial architecture, brought in hundreds of engineering teams from partners such as China, North Korea, and Belarus, and poured hundreds of billions of dollars into R&D and components.
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Ukrainian drones struck two Russian plants overnight on 14 June, damaging facilities connected to explosive production and petrochemical refining in southern Russia’s Stavropol Krai and the Volga region’s Samara Oblast. Videos from the scene, shared by several Telegram channels, show drone flyovers, interceptions, fires at the facilities, and the aftermath of the strikes.
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly struck Russian military, defense industry, and energy infrastructure in both occupied territ
Ukrainian drones struck two Russian plants overnight on 14 June, damaging facilities connected to explosive production and petrochemical refining in southern Russia’s Stavropol Krai and the Volga region’s Samara Oblast. Videos from the scene, shared by several Telegram channels, show drone flyovers, interceptions, fires at the facilities, and the aftermath of the strikes.
Ukrainian forces have repeatedly struck Russian military, defense industry, and energy infrastructure in both occupied territories and inside Russia. The ongoing air campaign is aimed at crippling Russian military logistics and its capacity to continue the war.
Strikes on Nevinnomysk Azot in Stavropol
According to Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation (UCCD), the Nevinnomysk Azot plant in Stavropol Krai was one of the main targets. The factory produces over a million tons of ammonia and ammonium nitrate annually—essential components in explosive manufacturing.
Additional footage from Nevinnomysk shows that Ukraine has likely used its legendary Liutyi long-range kamikaze drones.
The UCCD noted that the facility also synthesizes melamine, acetic acid, methanol, and potassium nitrate—dual-use chemicals often utilized in explosives and military charges. Since 2024, the plant has also been producing water-soluble fertilizers tailored for military chemistry applications.
Footage shared by Telegram channels suggests the control room of Nevinnomysk Azot may have been destroyed.
Regional governor Vladimir Vladimirovclaimed “debris” from a drone fell in the city’s industrial zone.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces stated that the strike aimed to degrade Russia’s capacity to produce explosives and munitions. The General Staff described the Nevinnomysk facility as a key supplier for Russia’s war against Ukraine, reporting multiple explosions and fires at the site.
Azot is a typical Soviet-era name of a chemical factory, producing nitrogen-based chemicals such as ammonia. Recently, one of the other Azots was attacked in Russia’s Tula Oblast.
Drone attack on Samara Oblast industrial site
In a parallel operation, drones struck another major industrial site in Novokuybyshevsk, Samara Oblast. The Ukrainian military identified the target as the Novokuybyshevsk Petrochemical Company (NNK), a top-tier supplier of components used in artillery explosives.
The company is among Russia’s five largest producers in gas-processing and petrochemical sectors and the country’s only maker of synthetic ethanol and para-tert-butylphenol (PTBF)—both linked to explosive compounds.
More footage from Nevinnomysk – the indoor video allegedly shows the factory's control room.
Local residents reported the attack and resulting fire, and some Ukrainian sources suggested that the Novokuybyshevsk Catalyst Plant might have been the target. The facility focuses on regenerating catalysts for the oil processing and chemical industries and developing new types of catalysts and adsorbents through experimental production.
Samara Oblast governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev confirmed a UAV attack attempt on one of Novokuybyshevsk’s industrial facilities, stating there were no casualties or major damage.
According to the Militarnyi outlet, NNK supplies ingredients to the Kazan Powder Plant and the Sverdlov Plant, both engaged in manufacturing explosive materials including octogen and hexogen. Public contracts show transactions worth hundreds of millions of rubles for explosive production materials, highlighting the plant’s direct ties to Russia’s defense sector.
The Ukrainian General Staff described the Novokuybyshevsk plant as directly involved in supplying components for Russia’s artillery shell production.
Ukrainian military confirms targeting of military-linked facilities
The Ukrainian Army General Staff reported that the attacks on Novokuybyshevsk and Nevinnomsk facilities were part of broader operations to weaken Russia’s ability to manufacture munitions and explosives. It confirmed strikes on “key military-industrial complex facilities,” citing confirmed explosions and fires.
The military stressed that its drone strikes were conducted in coordination with other Ukrainian Defense Forces units and reiterated its commitment to undermining Russia’s war capacity.
Damage assessment is ongoing, according to the report.
Russian claims
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that its air defense downed 66 Ukrainian drones during the night, failing even to mention Samara Oblast. The MoD claimed the interceptions included 30 in Voronezh Oblast, 10 in Belgorod Oblast, eight in Stavropol Krai, and six in occupied Crimea.
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