Drone Dispatch
3 - 9 November, 2025
Dronefare Weekly Drone Dispatch
Welcome to the Drone Dispatch, your dedicated source for staying ahead in the rapidly evolving world of drones and drone warfare. This newsletter brings together the latest developments in drones and drone warfare, from cutting-edge technology and tactical innovations to global military applications and policy shifts.
Each dispatch is designed to provide a clear and concise overview of how drones are shaping modern conflict, international and domestic security, and strategy.
Executive Summary
Ukrainian long-range drone strikes again hit Russian energy and industrial sites (notably Saratov and Bashkortostan), disrupting airports and causing fires.
Russia’s hybrid drone campaign strained European aviation and prompted NATO/UK anti-drone deployments as allies scramble to close gaps in layered air defence.
Militaries are scaling both offense and defence: the U.S. Army plans a significant scale-up of small UAS purchases, while fielded counter-drone efforts include requests for enduring high-energy laser systems.
State and non-state actors are industrializing drone warfare. Russia’s mass procurement and training programs and Ukraine’s combat-refined loitering drones are accelerating attritable, high-volume employment.
Maritime and long-range sea-launched drone concepts are moving from tests toward operational relevance, raising risks to ports and naval logistics in multiple theaters.
Drone Warfare
Ukrainian Drones Strike Saratov Oil Refinery
Ukrainian drones struck the Rosneft refinery in Saratov overnight, damaging infrastructure and temporarily closing the regional airport. Russian forces intercepted dozens of drones, but fires broke out at the facility. The strike extended Ukraine’s reach deep into Russian industrial areas.
Sudan's capital hit by drone attacks a day after RSF agrees to truce
On 7 November 2025, the Sudanese Armed Forces intercepted a swarm of drones launched early that morning toward Omdurman (near Khartoum) and Atbara, following a cease‑fire proposal accepted by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The attacks caused explosions and anti‑aircraft fire in both cities, though details of casualties and damage remain unclear.
Ukrainian Drones Reach Deep Inside Russia as Battle for Pokrovsk Rages
Ukrainian drones conducted reconnaissance and strikes around Pokrovsk, supporting frontline operations and shaping local maneuver. They engaged targets and disrupted Russian positions. The operations demonstrated high integration of small strike and ISR drones in combat.
Ukraine Strikes Petrochemical Plant in Bashkortostan, Russia Says
Ukrainian drones attacked a petrochemical plant in Bashkortostan, damaging production facilities. The strikes disrupted local energy and logistics networks. Multiple drones engaged the target during the operation.
Sterlitamak and Industrial Hubs Embarrassed by Deep Strikes
Ukrainian drones struck industrial targets in Sterlitamak and surrounding areas, damaging facilities and infrastructure. The strikes reached deep behind Russian lines.
Overnight Strikes Hit Power Plant and Refinery; One Killed, Russia Says
Ukrainian drones damaged a power plant and refinery overnight, causing at least one death. The strikes disrupted energy supply and local operations. They increased pressure on Russia’s energy infrastructure as winter approached.
Russian and Israeli Drone Strikes Cause Civilian Harm in Multiple Theaters
AP and Times of Israel reporting documented civilian deaths and injuries from drone and missile strikes in Ukraine, Russia, and Lebanon, reflecting the wider humanitarian toll of armed UAS across theaters. The AP pieces compile casualty figures, local responses, and the disruption to essential services after attacks on energy and urban areas. These incidents are increasing calls for accountability and highlighting the difficulty of protecting civilians from low-cost aerial threats.
Drone Policy & Regulation
Russian ‘Hybrid War’ Tests European Air Defences
Small drones forced airport closures, flight reroutes, and anti-drone deployments across Europe. The strikes tested NATO's readiness and exposed gaps in its low, slow, small air defence systems. The operations disrupted civil aviation and regional security.
U.K. Sends Anti-Drone Troops to Belgium amid Airport Shutdowns
The U.K. deployed anti-drone units to Belgium. Allied nations reinforced airports and critical infrastructure.
U.S. Army Plans Major Acquisition Ramp-Up — Up to One Million Drones
The U.S. Army planned to acquire up to 1 million drones to expand distributed sensing and attritable fires. The procurement aimed to make drones more pervasive and to sway the military to integrate drones into operations.
Russia’s Mass Drone Purchases and Youth Training Push
Russia purchased tens of thousands of small drones and expanded training programs for operators, including youth initiatives. The expansion increased its ability to launch sustained drone operations. It emphasized high-volume, attritable employment doctrine.
Drone Technology & Counter-UAS
Ukraine’s Raybird Drone Matures into Exportable Platform
Ukraine refined the Raybird loitering munition with extended loiter, modular payloads, and secure communications. The drone improved ISR and strike capabilities. It became a more versatile platform for export and allied use.
U.S. Long-Range Drone Ships Tested for Distributed Maritime Operations
Long-range unmanned vessels tested sea-based launch and ISR missions. The trials extended operational reach and endurance. They demonstrated integration of maritime drones into distributed naval operations.
U.S. Army Seeks Enduring High-Energy Laser Capability for Counter-UAS
The Army issued an RFI for vehicle-mounted high-energy lasers to defeat small drones. The system aimed to provide persistent, low-cost interception. It sought scalable solutions against swarm threats.
Taiwan Builds Asymmetric Counters to Chinese Drone Advantages
Taiwan deployed sensors and countermeasures to offset the PLA's massed and autonomous drones. It enhanced resilience, rapid reconstitution, and dispersed defensive doctrine. These efforts strengthened regional deterrence.
Maritime and Sea-Targeting Trends Increase Risk to Shipping and Ports
UAS struck suspected drug vessels and tested sea-based systems, threatening ports and shipping. The strikes disrupted maritime logistics. They highlighted the operational relevance of maritime drones.
Analysis
Drone warfare has moved from episodic to structural in multiple theaters. Ukraine’s campaign demonstrates an operational doctrine that uses attritable, long-range loitering munitions and organized swarm tactics to reach strategic industrial and energy nodes deep behind Russian lines; the strikes on Saratov and Bashkortostan are not isolated incidents but part of a campaign to raise the cost of sustaining logistics, fuel, and heating supplies for both civilian and military use. At the same time, Russia’s own push to acquire tens of thousands of small drones and to normalize training suggests a transition toward massed, saturation approaches that can continuously probe and stress adversary defenses.
This dynamic is forcing allied states to adapt their policies and procurement practices. European governments and NATO are rushing to implement temporary measures such as anti-drone patrols, airport closures, and hardening, even as longer-term investments mount in layered detection and defeat systems. The U.S. Army’s plan to buy up to a million small drones portends an industrial approach that mirrors adversary massing: sensors and effects everywhere rather than a few high-value platforms. Complementing that, the Army’s interest in high-energy lasers that endure reflects an acknowledgment that cost-effective defeat of swarms will require new technologies integrated into maneuver units.
Technically, the battlefield is converging across domains. Loitering munitions and long-range USVs turn energy and maritime nodes into contested spaces; logistics chains and civil infrastructure are exposed not only to single strikes but to cumulative degradation that can produce humanitarian crises (blackouts, heating failures) and political pressure. Directed energy, electronic warfare, and resilient command and control will be decisive enablers of defensive depth.
Finally, the industrialization of drones, whether through state procurement, field-adaptation of combat-proven designs like Raybird, or the development of commercial maritime drones, means drone warfare will be a persistent strategic variable. Expect iterative cycles of attack and countermeasure to accelerate, with ingenuity on both sides pushing rapid field changes.
Outlook
Ukraine will likely continue to emphasize strikes on energy, transport, and industrial nodes to degrade Russian sustainment and political resilience, particularly as winter increases the leverage of power outages. European and allied air-defence postures will be in a reactive procurement phase through buying layered sensors, kinetic interceptors, and directed-energy systems.
Still, doctrinal and organizational changes will lag acquisition, creating short-term vulnerability windows. The industrialization of UAS on both sides (mass buys, local production, youth training, exportable combat designs) will increase the frequency and geographic span of saturation attacks. At the same time, maritime drone tests and operations will raise the prospect of targeted interdiction of ports and shipping lanes.
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