Sawt Falasteen - Russia ramps up drone strikes on Ukraine in June: AFP analysis

Ukraine says it is adapting to the escalating bombardments and has vowed to respond, but the mounting attacks come at a critical moment of the Russian invasion, which is grinding through its fourth year.

Kyiv is appealing to the United States and European allies for more air defence systems to defend its critical infrastructure as talks spearheaded by Washington to secure a ceasefire falter.

The AFP analysis of Ukrainian air force data showed that Russia fired 5,438 long-range drones at Ukraine in June -- more than in any month since Moscow launched its invasion in February 2022.

That figure was up 37 percent from the total in May, when Russia launched 3,974 drones, according to the Ukrainian air force.

Moscow's army also fired 239 missiles in overnight attacks, almost twice as many as a month before, the data showed.

The attacks, which trigger air raid sirens in towns and cities across the country and spur civilians to spend sleepless nights in shelters, occurred every night in June.

Russian President Vladimir Putin underscored last month that drones are an increasingly integral part of his country's military might.

- 'Hellish' night -

During a televised meeting on armaments convened by the Kremlin, he touted Russian drone units' attacks on armoured vehicles, fortified positions, and personnel.

Putin claimed that up to 50 percent of all attacks that "destroyed and damaged equipment and facilities" in Ukraine were launched by Russian drone units.

"Their effectiveness is constantly growing," he said, noting the military was creating a separate drone forces branch.

But Ukraine, which has been forced to adapt its defences to fend off Russia's larger army, is also changing how it deals with increasing Russian drone attacks.

"Ukraine is introducing new developments -- interceptor drones -- as well as other tools that are deliberately not disclosed," defence minister Rustem Umerov told journalists, including from AFP last week.

"All work on counter-drone systems is a continuous cycle of innovation and improvement."

Ukrainian air defence units destroyed 81 percent of all drones and missiles launched by Russia in May.

Even as attacks escalated over June, Kyiv's intercept rate of drones and missiles increased to 86 percent.

Assessing the impact of the larger Russian drone attacks is complicated in part because Ukraine is secretive about what, if anything, was targeted by Russia or hit.

In June, however, the capital Kyiv was subjected to at leastfour fatal attacks from drones and missiles that left at least 41 dead, according to emergency services.

That was up from two killed in Russian bombardments of Kyiv in May.

The Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov called on Kyiv to give into Moscow's hardline demands for peace if it wanted the attacks to stop.

"Kyiv knows perfectly well what needs to be done to end the fighting," Peskov said in response to a question from AFP about the increased drone attacks.

Kyiv says Moscow's ceasefire requirements -- to cede territory and renounce Western military support -- amount to capitulation.

Alina Shtompel, a 20-year student in Kyiv, said on June 17 that the night she had survived was "hellish".

That country-wide attack from 440 drones and 32 missiles ripped open an apartment building in Kyiv, where at least 28 people were killed.

"It is indescribably painful that our people are going through this right now," Shtompel added.

Q.Najjar--SF-PST