Oleksandr Kovalenko, a Ukrainian military and political observer, writing for Minval, reports that on the night of July 10, Russian forces launched one of the most massive combined attacks on Ukraine, targeting Kyiv with 415 weapons — 397 drones, six Kh-101 cruise missiles, and eight Iskander-M ballistic missiles.Western media, including CNN, noted a shift in tactics: Kyiv was surrounded by drones that attacked almost simultaneously. Despite the scale of the assault, Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 368 drones and all the missiles. However, around 30 drones penetrated defenses, causing destruction. Kovalenko says this outcome suggests the new tactics are yielding partial results, but notes they are not fundamentally new — Russia has been experimenting with drone strategies since early 2025.He adds that cities like Odesa have already endured similar encircling drone attacks. The difference now is in scale. The key issue is whether Ukraine’s air defense can keep pace with this growing and evolving threat.Kovalenko warns that Ukraine’s air defense, though effective on July 10, is under mounting pressure. In just the first third of July, Russia launched over 2,500 Shahed-type drones. The total could exceed 6,000 or even 7,000 by month’s end. This surge is part of Russia’s strategy to deplete Ukraine’s defenses through sheer volume and cost.To counter this, the observer advocates for equipping all mobile fire groups with MANPADS, as higher-flying drones have rendered light arms ineffective. He also stresses the importance of intercepting drones earlier in their flight paths — before they reach urban areas — to reduce the burden on city-based air defenses.While innovations like interceptor drones are proving useful, Kovalenko believes their current deployment scale is insufficient. A broader, proactive defense strategy is still lacking.He draws a parallel to the fall of 2022, when Russia launched a prolonged campaign against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Even after Ukraine adapted, and the strikes lost effectiveness, Russia continued its attacks for months out of inertia or stubbornness.Now, the goal is different. Kovalenko says Russia aims to break the morale and psychological resilience of the Ukrainian population through constant terror. The task of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is to minimize these threats, but this is a complex and urgent challenge.The July 10 attack was repelled, but Kovalenko emphasizes that the faster Ukraine adapts and implements comprehensive air defense solutions, the less damage future — and likely larger — strikes will cause.