CONSPIRACY: Drones and missiles are deliberately shot down over residential areas of Kyiv to keep the population in fear

Video is being circulated online where a man comments on the Russian attack on Kyiv during the night of June 17, 2025. He asks why missiles and drones are shot down over the city rather than on approach or already at the border with Russia. According to him, the Ukrainian authorities deliberately allow attacks to keep the population in fear.

This is a conspiracy theory. Intercepting Shaheds and missiles is becoming increasingly difficult due to their technical improvements, changes in tactics, and a shortage of air defense systems.

The video was published by a TikTok user after the massive Russian attack on June 17, 2025. At that time, 28 people were killed in Kyiv, and another 134 were injured. Russia used 440 strike Shaheds and decoy drones, as well as 32 missiles of various types.

The author of the video has repeatedly spread fakes and conspiracy theories. For example, he claimed that the Ukrainian people allegedly do not exist under the law or that the reason for the lack of peace is the “illegitimate Ukrainian government”. We have already debunked these claims earlier.

In reality, intercepting Shaheds is becoming increasingly difficult due to their technical improvements and changes in tactics:

• Mass attacks from different directions force Ukrainian air defense to disperse its forces, reducing effectiveness.
• Shaheds have been upgraded: they now have a larger warhead, the ability to dive during an attack, and use CRPA technology, which makes them more resistant to electronic warfare.
• Changes in flight altitude (up to 2–3 km) make it impossible for mobile fire groups to work effectively.
• Some drones are used as decoys or scouts: they detect Ukrainian air defense systems, after which Russia launches missile strikes.

Helicopters, jet fighters, and light aircraft are also used to shoot down UAVs. However, deploying them directly near borders or the front line is risky due to enemy air defense. The same applies to Ukrainian SAM systems. Closer to the border, they become more vulnerable to Russian attacks.

Shaheds have also been shot down with FPV drones. At the same time, this area is still scaling up and has only recently begun receiving state support. On June 27, 2025, Volodymyr Zelenskyi held a Technological Stake and announced the “scaling up of Ukraine’s potential, particularly in interceptors”.

Moreover, intercepting drones and other aerial targets is becoming more difficult. As Yurii Ihnat, head of the communications department of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, explained, Russians are constantly modernizing their cruise and ballistic missiles.

It is important to understand that only certain air defense systems can intercept ballistic missiles. For example, the “Kinzhal” or “Iskander” can be shot down with American Patriot systems, of which Ukraine has a limited number. Ukraine has also received the French-Italian SAMP/T SAM system, which theoretically can shoot down ballistic targets. However, there is no data yet on how successful its practical use has been.

Russia is launching more and more targets. From January to May 2025, the Russians used nearly 13,000 Shaheds and decoys in attacks against Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine’s territory is large, and partner supplies of air defense systems are not that extensive. Therefore, the shortage of air defense affects not only missile interceptions but also drone interceptions.