A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Ukraine's attack this month that destroyed Russian warplanes is just one in a series of unprecedented drone strikes. Now, Russia has stocked up its own arsenal of drones and carried out the heaviest bombardment of the war just a few days ago. For a closer look at this escalation, let's bring in NPR's national security correspondent, Greg Myre. So Greg, there's been a lot of reporting on Ukraine's surprise attack on Russian air bases, but we've heard a lot less about Russian strikes. What are they doing?
GREG MYRE, BYLINE: Well, Russia carried out another massive drone strike overnight. Kyiv was the main target. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it one of the heaviest attacks yet on the capital. And the night before, Russia carried out nearly 500 drone strikes nationwide. This past week has seen several Russian nighttime attacks in this range - 300, 400, 500 drones, the most extensive to date. Now, Ukraine shoots down or electronically jams most of these incoming Russian drones, but maybe 10% get through, and they can inflict extensive damage.
MARTÍNEZ: Wow. So how have the Russians developed all this firepower?
MYRE: Yeah, the Russians had a very limited drone arsenal when they launched their full-scale invasion three years ago, but they soon realized that drones were going to play a major role, and they needed a quick solution. So they started buying Iranian drones, but they're not that good, and Iran wasn't making nearly enough of them. So Russia paid Iran for the technology and began making a Russian version known as the Geran. Now, I spoke with Omar Al-Ghusbi at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies in Washington, a research institute. He's just written a report on the Russian program.
OMAR AL-GHUSBI: The most groundbreaking revolutionary thing about the Geran model of drones is their mass production capability, as well as the capability of striking targets at a long range.
MARTÍNEZ: Do Russia and Ukraine use their drones in similar ways on the battlefield?
MYRE: No, A. Their approaches differ. Russia relies on sheer volume. They try to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses by firing so many drones at so many places, and often the drones are really kind of a diversion. They want to occupy Ukraine's air defenses so that faster, more powerful Russian missiles can slip through.
MARTÍNEZ: And what about Ukraine?
MYRE: Well, Ukraine relies more on stealthy attacks that can come from land or air or sea. You know, with small, inexpensive drones, Ukraine just keeps constant pressure on Russian ground forces. It's increasingly difficult for these Russian troops to gather in large numbers for an operation because Ukraine's drones are virtually certain to spot them and attack. Ukraine has also pioneered drones at sea. They've been so lethal the past couple years, Russian warships don't dare venture anywhere near Ukraine's Black Sea coast. And just a month ago, a Ukrainian drone in the Black Sea shot down a Russian warplane - something that's never been done before.
MARTÍNEZ: Greg, I'm wondering if it's fair to say at this point that this is the first war where drones have played such a major - a big role.
MYRE: Yes. That's absolutely true and more so by the day. At the start of the war, artillery caused most deaths and injuries, and much of the fighting looked like World War I trench warfare. But now Ukraine says 70% of casualties on both sides are inflicted by drones. In just a few short years, drones have gone from expensive, high-end technology with a few specialized uses to cheap, disposable, mass-produced weapons that are absolutely everywhere on the battlefield.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. That's NPR's Greg Myre. Greg, thanks.
MYRE: Sure thing, A. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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