Russian forces have launched more than 112,000 Shahed drones since the start of the full-scale invasion, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, said on Friday.
Syrskyi said the drones have primarily targeted homes and civilian infrastructure, killing children and other civilians.
Ukraine's Security Service previously documented nearly 50,000 Shahed launches between February 2022 and August 2025.
Iranian-designed attack drones built for long-range strikes
Shaheds are Iranian-designed kamikaze drones, and much larger than typical commercial or surveillance drones. Most variants, such as the Shahed-136, weigh around 200-450 kg and have a wingspan of roughly 2.5-3 meters. They are powered by small engines and can carry a warhead of roughly 40-50 kg, designed to explode on impact.
Unlike small reconnaissance drones, Shaheds are built for long-range attacks and can fly hundreds of kilometers to hit their targets, even reaching Ukrainian cities as far west as Lviv.
Russia regularly uses them for terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure, including energy facilities and apartment buildings, often in swarms to overwhelm air defenses and cause maximum casualties. Their size and payload make them far more destructive than common commercial drones.
