On the evening of May 13, 2026, Russian forces launched one of the largest drone attacks on Ukrainian territory. According to monitoring resources and Ukrainian officials, hundreds of attack drones were simultaneously in the country's airspace, heading for the western regions and the capital.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, there are more than 100 Russian drones in the skies over Ukraine, with further waves of attacks possible throughout the day. Ivano-Frankivsk Mayor Ruslan Martsinkiv called the current situation "the largest attack since the full-scale invasion."

Monitoring data indicates that the drones are moving along complex trajectories in several waves from two main directions: from the north, skirting Chernihiv, and from the south, between Kryvyi Rih, Mykolaiv, and Odesa. The UAVs' routes are designed to bypass the coverage areas of Ukrainian air defense systems.

An advisor to the Ukrainian Defense Minister reported a change in Russian tactics. According to him, drones are now moving in large echelons, forming a chain along the northern border, spaced 5-10 kilometers apart.

The goal of the new strategy is to deliberately overload Ukrainian air defense systems to ensure the maximum number of drones can penetrate deep into the country, primarily into the western regions.