The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that on the night of October 5 to 6, 2025, it shot down 251 Ukrainian drones that were attacking various parts of the country. Russia claims this is the largest drone attack launched by Ukraine since the war began in February 2022.
In a statement released by the ministry, it was indicated that out of the drones shot down, 40 fell over Crimea, 62 over the Black Sea, and five over the Sea of Azov.
This comes at a time when Ukraine has been using drones in attacks mainly targeting infrastructure, particularly energy facilities. Prior to this incident, its drone strikes rarely exceeded 20 or a few dozen at a time.
According to an analysis by AFP based on data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project (CTP), as of the end of September 2025, Russia controls 19% of Ukrainian territory. Before the war, it held 7%, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, and parts of the Donbas region.
Military operations are ongoing, but their pace is slowing down. In September 2025, Russia captured 447 km² of Ukrainian territory, compared to 594 km² in August and 634 km² in July. This indicates a decrease in the pace of territorial gains.
Russia has continued attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure. This raises concerns that the country may again face electricity shortages during the cold season, as happened in 2024.
Although there have been efforts to initiate talks to end the fighting including ones led by Donald Trump no tangible progress has been made so far. The war continues, with no clear path to peace in sight.
