--- title: "\"Exhausting air defense and the population\": the CDD at the NSSC explained the wave-strike tactic of jet drones against Kyiv" description: "Andrii Kovalenko, head of the NSSC CDD, stated that Russia is striking Kyiv in small waves of jet drones to exhaust air defense and the population. On the night of August 28, logistics facilities in Kyiv Oblast were attacked." date: 2026-08-28T06:26:04.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/rf-launches-jet-drones-in-waves-against-kyiv-en tags: [russia-ukraine-war, jet-drones, kyiv, air-defense, drone-attacks] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # "Exhausting air defense and the population": the CDD at the NSSC explained the wave-strike tactic of jet drones against Kyiv ![Reactive strike drone in flight against a sunset sky — illustration of wave attacks on Kyiv](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/28/rf-zapusk-reaktivnyh-dronov-volnami-po-kievu/rf-zapusk-reaktivnyh-dronov-volnami-po-kievu-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - According to Andrii Kovalenko, Russia is launching small numbers of jet drones in waves to paralyze Kyiv and exhaust air defense and the population. - On the night of August 28, Nova Poshta warehouses in the Bilohorodka hromada were attacked; earlier, the distribution centers of "Fara," "Dom Ihrushok," and Comfy were damaged. - Western and Ukrainian observers note that Russia's growing use of jet drones creates an additional challenge for Ukrainian air defense. Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the Secretariat of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, stated that Russia has shifted to a tactic of launching small numbers of jet drones in waves with the aim of paralyzing Kyiv. According to him, the adversary lacks the resources for massed strikes, so the focus is on frequent but small salvos. "The goal is to exhaust air defense and the population," Kovalenko emphasized, adding that corresponding decisions will be taken to counter this tactic. The statement came against the backdrop of a series of nighttime strikes on the logistics infrastructure of Kyiv Oblast. ### The "wave" tactic: what the CDD says Kovalenko's key point is that the adversary is deliberately limiting the size of each wave of drones so as not to spend its entire fleet, while keeping Ukraine's air defense system in a state of constant readiness. According to the center's assessment, this approach is aimed not so much at achieving specific tactical objectives as at the systematic exhaustion of air defense assets and psychological pressure on civilians. The CDD promises that a response will be given to this scheme — it involves adjusting interception tactics and the deployment of air defense missile systems. ### Night strikes on Kyiv Oblast's logistics The words about wave attacks coincided with actual nighttime strikes. On the night of August 28, Russian forces attacked Nova Poshta warehouse facilities in the Bilohorodka hromada of Kyiv Oblast: after the first hit, the adversary delivered two more strikes on the same location while firefighting was still ongoing at the site. The previous night, a massed attack was carried out on the region's logistics infrastructure — the distribution centers of the retail chains "Fara," "Dom Ihrushok" (Toy House), and Comfy were damaged or destroyed. According to the data cited in the report, after the first nighttime strike, Kyiv Oblast was subjected to 28 further enemy attacks. ### Jet drones as a new challenge for air defense The context of these strikes is broader: according to Western and Ukrainian observers, Russia is increasingly using jet drones, forcing Ukraine to spend expensive air defense missiles on intercepting relatively cheap targets. As noted in July 2026 by Euronews, and in materials citing The Telegraph, Russia's new jet drones are becoming a notable problem for Ukrainian air defense, as their speed and flight profile complicate interception. This turns each "small wave" into an economically unfavorable scenario for the defender, which confirms the logic described by Kovalenko. ### What comes next The combination of frequent wave salvos against Kyiv and strikes on Kyiv Oblast's logistics indicates an attempt by the adversary to simultaneously pressure the capital and undermine supply chains. The Ukrainian side states that it is preparing decisions to counter such a tactic. The dynamics of jet drone use and the effectiveness of their interception remain one of the key factors determining the load on the air defense system in the coming weeks. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Russia is launching jet drones at Kyiv in waves: the CDD explained the enemy's goal](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rf-zapuskae-kiyiv-reaktivni-droni-hvilyami-1787897405.html) - Первичный источник заявления Коваленко о волновых запусках мелкого количества реактивных дронов и цели истощения ПВО и населения. - [Russia is increasingly using jet drones, forcing Ukraine to spend air defense missiles](https://ru.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/07/02/rossiya-vsyo-chashe-primenyaet-reaktivnye-drony) - Контекст: рост применения реактивных дронов РФ и нагрузка на ПВО (материал от 02.07.2026). - [Russia attacked Kyiv and the oblast: explosions were heard](https://korrespondent.net/city/kiev/4897739-rossyia-atakovala-kyev-y-oblast-slyshalys-vzryvy) - Подтверждение фактов ночных атак по Киеву и области. - [Russia's new jet drones are becoming a problem for Ukrainian air defense, – The Telegraph](https://www.unian.net/war/voyna-v-ukraine-vstupaet-v-fazu-primeneniya-reaktivnyh-dronov-chto-sozdaet-problemy-dlya-kieva-smi-13429485.html) - Оценка (через The Telegraph) того, что новые реактивные дроны РФ создают проблему для ПВО. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why, according to Kovalenko, is Russia launching drones in small waves? **A:** In his assessment, the adversary lacks the resources for massed strikes, so it uses frequent small salvos of jet drones to paralyze Kyiv and exhaust air defense assets and the population. ### Q: Which facilities were attacked on the night of August 28? **A:** Nova Poshta warehouse facilities in the Bilohorodka hromada of Kyiv Oblast were attacked — after the first hit, two more strikes were delivered on the same location. Earlier, the distribution centers of "Fara," "Dom Ihrushok," and Comfy were damaged or destroyed. ### Q: Why are jet drones considered a problem for air defense? **A:** Observers note that Russia's growing use of jet drones forces Ukraine to spend expensive air defense missiles on interception, making each wave economically unfavorable for the defender.