Ukraine has significantly increased its capacity to intercept Shahed drones, which are then destroyed or sent back into Russian and Belarusian airspace.

Russia’s drone strikes are less effective as a result and have added an “increased burden” on Russian and Belarusian air defence systems, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think tank.

Of the 110 Shahed drones and decoys that were launched at Ukraine on December 1-2, 50 were “lost” (45 per cent) due to EW interference, while 52 more were shot down, according to Petro Chernyk, a Ukrainian military expert.

By contrast, of the 105 drones launched on Oct 2, 78 were shot down and 23 were “lost” (22 per cent). 

Innovations in electronic warfare (EW) interference means that the majority of Russian drones are grounded, lost, or sent back to the country they were launched from.

A record number of Russian Shahed drones - 38 - were sent back via Belarusian airspace on Nov 25, forcing Minsk to scramble several fighter jets in response to the airspace violation.