Russia launched about 2,000 attack drones at Ukrainian targets in October, almost three times the amount that were fired in the previous month, British military officials said.

The numbers have steadily increased for the third month in a row.

With the Kremlin’s continuous investment in a range of attack drones, a diversification of supply, and an increase in the number of launch sites, firing rates have been trending consistently upward since mid-2024, U.K. officials posted on X in their latest assessment of the battlefield in Ukraine.

“Through the first week of November, Russian firing rates remained high and in line with recent weeks,” the British Defense Ministry said. “It is likely that the high figures seen through September and October to date will become normal.”

Russia’s drone launch sites are reasonably simple and easy to reestablish if targeted by an adversary like Ukraine.

“Should production remain uninhibited, the primary limiting factor for Russian (drone) operations is likely human resource relative to launch capacity,” U.K. defense officials said.

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched at least 145 attack drones overnight against civilian targets inside the country.

“Such terror cannot be stopped with words and the killing of children. The loss of relatives cannot simply be forgotten,” Mr. Zelenskyy said on the Telegram social messaging site. “Without strong decisions, there is no security from terror, and this is equally clear in every country.”

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.