Russia attacked Odessa with new kamikaze drones, expert says

The enemy attacked the city in broad daylight, there are casualties.

On the morning of May 23, the Russian occupation army attacked Odessa with new kamikaze drones . As noted by military-political observer Alexander Kovalenko , the Russian Federation probably began testing another development, and Odessa became a kind of testing ground.

“This morning, an unusual raid by Shahed-136 kamikaze drones was carried out on Odessa and the region,” the observer noted.

According to him, the Russian occupiers launched about 8 kamikaze drones and, despite the fact that Odesa has repeatedly been under more massive attacks, the “raid” that took place on May 23 has its own characteristics.

“First, the unusualness of the raid was that it was carried out during the day. In Odessa, strikes using Shahed-136, as in most cases, are carried out at night, but by no means in broad daylight, when visual fixation of the target is much easier and more effective than shooting down,” the analyst emphasized.

The second nuance: the use of a drone that had not previously been detected by air defense forces. As Kovalenko notes, this drone is similar in its aerodynamic scheme to the Shahed-136 – a “flying wing” and visually resembled the Lancet loitering munition. At the same time, it is larger in size.

“Taking into account the available contours, we can assume that this was an enlarged version of the Scalpel or Lancet-3 BB. Although. Rather, something much larger and more powerful,” Kovalenko noted.

He emphasizes that the use of these weapons in a group with standard Shahed-136s during daylight hours may indicate that the Russians have begun testing their new product in the most difficult conditions.

“We don’t know its exact name yet, but it flies to Odessa and deep into the region. At the same time, it had the opportunity to enter our airspace at an altitude of 200 meters. It seems that Odesa and the region continue to remain a testing ground for the RAV in terms of testing both new weapons and the tactics of their use,” the analyst states.

According to the head of the Odessa OVA, Oleg Kiper, the enemy attacked the Odessa region with strike drones in the morning. Initially, he reported that a private house was damaged in the suburbs of Odessa, a man was injured there, and doctors provided him with all the necessary assistance.

After some time, it became known about another victim. Currently, the relevant services are eliminating the consequences of the enemy attack.

(c)UNIAN 2025