Day: May 13, 2026

What is the share of decoys in the Russian and the Ukrainian drone attacks? – Google Search  google.com/search?q=What+is+…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 13, 2026

#CIA
#Ukraine Air Defense Efficiency vs.  #Russia  gemini.google.com/share/8362…
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The Ukrainian Air Defences may be 3 times (95%) more efficient than the Russian ones (36%?)
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Gemini:
The exact figures of a 95% interception rate for Ukraine versus a 36% rate for Russia likely represent a specific snapshot in time, a specific region, or a particular type of munition rather than a universal, war-long average. However, the underlying premise—that Ukraine’s air defense network has frequently operated with significantly higher efficiency than Russia’s against modern threats—is widely supported by military analysis and open-source intelligence.

Here is a breakdown of how those percentages align with the realities of the airspace in this conflict.

Deconstructing the 95% (Ukraine)

Ukraine has indeed reported interception rates in the 90% to 95% range, but these figures require context:

The “Kyiv Bubble”: When defending the capital, which is protected by a dense, layered network of Western systems (Patriot, NASAMS, IRIS-T, Gepard), Ukraine has routinely intercepted nearly all incoming Shahed drones and subsonic cruise missiles (like the Kalibr or Kh-101).
The Munition Factor: The 95% efficiency rate is highly dependent on what is being fired. Slower, predictable targets (drones) and older cruise missiles are much easier to shoot down.
The Drop-Off: When Russia employs ballistic missiles (like Iskanders), hypersonic glide vehicles (Kinzhal), or modified S-300s in a ground-attack role in areas outside the Patriot umbrella (such as Kharkiv or Odesa), Ukraine’s interception rate drops significantly. Furthermore, Ukrainian air defenses have historically struggled to intercept Russian glide bombs (FABs) released by tactical aviation near the front lines.

Deconstructing the 36% (Russia)

Assessing Russian interception rates is notoriously difficult due to the “fog of war” and state media routinely claiming 100% interception rates. However, a figure around 36% reflects the observed struggles of Russian systems against specific Western munitions:

Struggles with ATACMS and Storm Shadow: Russian flagship air defense systems, such as the S-400 “Triumf,” have repeatedly failed to protect high-value targets (airfields, command posts, and naval assets in Crimea) from U.S.-supplied ATACMS and British/French Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles.
Drone Incursions: Russia’s vast geography makes it impossible to build a seamless air defense dome. Ukrainian long-range, low-flying propeller drones have frequently bypassed Russian radar to strike oil refineries and military production facilities deep inside Russian territory, highlighting gaps in systems like the Pantsir-S1.
Fratricide (Friendly Fire): Russian air defenses have suffered from persistent command and control issues, leading to an unusually high rate of friendly fire incidents where they have shot down their own advanced fighters (like the Su-34 and Su-35).

The “Why” Behind the Efficiency Gap

If Ukraine is operating at a roughly 3-to-1 efficiency advantage, it comes down to architecture and tradecraft rather than just the hardware itself:

Networked vs. Siloed Systems: Ukraine has successfully integrated disparate Soviet-era and modern Western systems into a unified command-and-control network (often referred to as “FrankenSAM”). This allows data from a Western radar to cue a Soviet launcher, or vice versa. Russian air defense tends to be more rigid, localized, and hierarchically siloed, slowing response times.
Acoustic and OSINT Integration: Ukraine utilizes a nationwide network of acoustic sensors (essentially microphones on poles) and a civilian reporting app (ePPO) to track low-flying drones that evade traditional radar. This crowdsourced and sensor-fused data allows mobile fire groups with heavy machine guns to intercept drones cheaply and efficiently, saving million-dollar missiles for harder targets.
Agility and Survivability: Ukrainian operators use “shoot-and-scoot” tactics, keeping radars off until the last possible second to avoid anti-radiation missiles. Russian systems, often deployed in static, predictable formations to protect specific facilities, have proven highly vulnerable to suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) operations.

While the precise 95% vs. 36% figures may vary depending on the week or the specific battle, the structural reality remains: Ukraine has maximized a patchwork of systems to achieve disproportionate success, while Russia’s theoretical air defense superiority has been consistently undermined by modern Western missiles and asymmetric drone tactics.

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 13, 2026

#Ukraine  #DroneAttack  #CIA
Ukraine Drone Attack: Massive Assault  gemini.google.com/share/f005…
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“Air Defense Response: Ukrainian air defense, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups successfully shot down or suppressed 710 of the 753 drones.” (94%, or 85 – 95%).
“Reciprocal Ukrainian StrikesSimultaneously, Ukraine launched its own long-range retaliatory drone operations deep into Russian territory. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that it intercepted and destroyed 286 Ukrainian drones overnight across various border regions, the Black Sea, and the annexed Crimean Peninsula. (36% ?)
Gemini:
Today, May 13, 2026, Ukraine has been subjected to one of the most massive, coordinated drone assaults of the war.
If you are referring to the specific news breaking around  PM, this likely corresponds to the targeted strike on civilians in Kherson.

### The Kherson Bus Attack

At approximately  AM local time (with reports breaking around  PM), a Russian drone struck a fixed-route passenger bus in the central part of Kherson.

* **Casualties:** At least seven people were injured in this specific incident. The driver was concussed, and several passengers (including a 57-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man) were hospitalized in moderate condition with blast injuries and closed head trauma.
* Throughout the day, drone strikes on vehicles and residential areas in Kherson alone have wounded at least 20 citizens.

### The Broader National Assault

The strike in Kherson is part of an unprecedented nationwide swarm attack. According to the Ukrainian Air Force’s evening update, the scale of today’s assault is massive:

* **Drone Volume:** Since  AM, Russia has launched over **753 strike drones** at Ukraine, including Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas, and decoy drones. Combined with the overnight assault, nearly 900 drones have been launched within 24 hours.
* **Air Defense Response:** Ukrainian air defense, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups successfully shot down or suppressed **710 of the 753 drones**.
* **Airspace Violations:** The primary target of the swarm was western Ukraine. To bypass defenses, Russia reportedly routed the strike UAVs through the airspace of neighboring **Belarus and Moldova**.

### Other Significant Impacts Today

Despite the high interception rate, 36 direct hits and 26 instances of falling debris have caused significant damage across the country:

* **Ivano-Frankivsk:** A high-rise residential building on Konovalets Street was struck, injuring three people who have been hospitalized.
* **Smila (Cherkasy Region):** UAV strikes hit residential infrastructure, sparking multiple fires and injuring three men, two of whom are in critical condition.
* **Zhytomyr Region:** The area was under continuous attack for over seven hours, resulting in civilian injuries and damage to transport infrastructure.

The attack remains ongoing, with several drones reported still in Ukrainian airspace as of this evening.

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 13, 2026

#Ukraine  #DroneAttack  #CIA
Ukraine Drone Attack: Massive Assault  gemini.google.com/share/f005…
share.google/aimode/4A0FeQx3…
share.google/aimode/88GZkd1W…
Today, May 13, 2026, Ukraine has been subjected to one of the most massive, coordinated drone assaults of the war.
If you are referring to the specific news breaking around  PM, this likely corresponds to the targeted strike on civilians in Kherson.

### The Kherson Bus Attack

At approximately  AM local time (with reports breaking around  PM), a Russian drone struck a fixed-route passenger bus in the central part of Kherson.

* **Casualties:** At least seven people were injured in this specific incident. The driver was concussed, and several passengers (including a 57-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man) were hospitalized in moderate condition with blast injuries and closed head trauma.
* Throughout the day, drone strikes on vehicles and residential areas in Kherson alone have wounded at least 20 citizens.

### The Broader National Assault

The strike in Kherson is part of an unprecedented nationwide swarm attack. According to the Ukrainian Air Force’s evening update, the scale of today’s assault is massive:

* **Drone Volume:** Since  AM, Russia has launched over **753 strike drones** at Ukraine, including Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas, and decoy drones. Combined with the overnight assault, nearly 900 drones have been launched within 24 hours.
* **Air Defense Response:** Ukrainian air defense, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups successfully shot down or suppressed **710 of the 753 drones**.
* **Airspace Violations:** The primary target of the swarm was western Ukraine. To bypass defenses, Russia reportedly routed the strike UAVs through the airspace of neighboring **Belarus and Moldova**.

### Other Significant Impacts Today

Despite the high interception rate, 36 direct hits and 26 instances of falling debris have caused significant damage across the country:

* **Ivano-Frankivsk:** A high-rise residential building on Konovalets Street was struck, injuring three people who have been hospitalized.
* **Smila (Cherkasy Region):** UAV strikes hit residential infrastructure, sparking multiple fires and injuring three men, two of whom are in critical condition.
* **Zhytomyr Region:** The area was under continuous attack for over seven hours, resulting in civilian injuries and damage to transport infrastructure.

The attack remains ongoing, with several drones reported still in Ukrainian airspace as of this evening.

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 13, 2026

#CIA  #Ukraine  #Russia
Moscow launched more than 200 attack drones immediately after the deadline lapsed.
google.com/search?q=Ukraine+…
Ukraine Ceasefire Breach: Russian drone attacks killed nine people across Ukraine immediately following the expiration of a brief ceasefire.
Zelenskyy noted that Kyiv proposed an extension to the ceasefire, but Moscow rejected it, launching more than 200 attack drones immediately after the deadline lapsed. In the subsequent 24-hour period, Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting 111 out of 139 newly launched drones, though at least 20 direct hits were recorded.

News Today – AI Mode:
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Nine people have been killed and at least 28 injured across 14 Ukrainian regions following a massive wave of Russian drone attacks that began immediately after the expiration of a brief, U.S.-brokered ceasefire. [1]
Casualties and Damage Distribution
According to updates from BBC News and local Ukrainian officials, the aerial assault severely impacted civilian areas and infrastructure: [1, 2, 3]

Dnipropetrovsk Region: The central region was hit hardest, suffering eight fatalities and 11 injuries from more than 30 strikes. This included two deaths in Kryvyi Rih and six in the Synelnykove district.
Donetsk Region: One civilian casualty was reported.
Kharkiv Region: Five people were injured, and multiple residential buildings sustained severe damage.
Targeted Infrastructure: Strikes purposely targeted Ukraine’s railway infrastructure, energy facilities, and residential sectors across regions including Kyiv, Odesa, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Poltava. [1, 4]

Context of the Expired Ceasefire
The attacks followed the expiration of a three-day partial truce (running from May 9 to May 11, 2026) brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. While both nations exchanged accusations of minor frontline violations during the truce, large-scale aerial bombardments had temporarily paused. [1, 5, 6]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Kyiv proposed an extension to the ceasefire, but Moscow rejected it, launching more than 200 attack drones immediately after the deadline lapsed. In the subsequent 24-hour period, Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting 111 out of 139 newly launched drones, though at least 20 direct hits were recorded. [1, 6, 7]
Symmetrical Ukrainian Responses
In response to the renewed bombardment, Ukrainian forces launched retaliatory drone operations deep into Russian territory. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, hundreds of Ukrainian drones were intercepted over 14 Russian regions and Crimea. Debris from these interceptions triggered fires at a gas processing plant in Astrakhan and damaged industrial facilities in Krasnodar and Yaroslavl. [1, 3, 8]
If you would like further details, please let me know if you want to explore the diplomatic reactions to the collapsed truce, specific infrastructure damage maps, or updates on air defense supply requirements.

[1]  aol.com
[2]  bbc.com
[3]  instagram.com
[4]  washingtontimes.com
[5]  meduza.io
[6]  facebook.com
[7]  reuters.com
[8]  streamlinefeed.co.ke
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— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 13, 2026

FBI Director Hearing:  #FBI Director  #KashPatel vehemently denied personal drinking allegations during a tense  #Senate budget hearing  thenewsandtimes.blogspot.com…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 13, 2026

News Today – Google Search  google.com/search?q=news+tod…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 13, 2026

FBI Director Hearing: FBI Director Kash Patel vehemently denied personal drinking allegations during a tense Senate budget hearing
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— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 13, 2026

U.S. Intelligence Shows Iran Retains Substantial Missile Capabilities – The New York Times  nytimes.com/2026/05/12/us/po…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) May 13, 2026