ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Ukrainian forces shoot down about 80 percent of Russian drones throughout Kherson, but remain vulnerable to airstrikes and missiles, the spokesperson of Ukrainian forces in the province said earlier this week.
“If we talk about last week, just 2,200 drone attacks were carried out by the Russians from the left bank to the right bank,” Oleksandr Tolokonnikov told Rudaw, adding that their anti-drone systems and guns shot down 1,600 of the attacking drones.
Iranian-made Shahed drones are being used in the attacks, Tolokonnikov said, adding that Russia has shored up its offensive using rocket launchers, tanks, and artillery shelling. The military spokesperson noted that Russia is “constantly trying” to capture Kherson but they “actively repel their attacks.”
He said they have an “electronic protection dome” developed by Ukrainian soldiers to disable the drones.
Kherson is located in southern Ukraine, on the Black Sea, bordering Crimea.
The majority of the Russian drones are first-person view (FPV) and Mavic types, according to Tolokonnikov.
FPV drones, often modified with explosives, are used for precision attacks on enemy positions, vehicles, and personnel. Their high speed and maneuverability make them effective for kamikaze-style strikes. Mavic drones, primarily DJI models, are widely used for surveillance, artillery spotting, and battlefield coordination.
Tolokonnikov said that Russian forces primarily rely on drones for their incursions, which often leads to civilian casualties and damaged infrastructure.
“This is very frightening, but in this way, they commit those war crimes that later, we are sure, will be used against the Russian Federation in international court,” he said.
Below is the full transcript of the interview:
Oleksandr Tolokonnikov: The situation in Kherson is complex, but under control. We have been under attack by Russian occupiers for about two and a half years. From the left bank, the Russians attack us with several types of weapons. They use all the weapons they have against Kherson and the coastal area. On the right bank of Kherson, Russians use drones, artillery, mortars, tanks, multiple rocket launcher systems, as well as [Iranian-made] Shahed drones, loitering munitions as they call them, and they also use missiles. We counted that approximately every two minutes Kherson hears an explosion, continuously. Neither day nor night, these attacks don't stop, and the Russians constantly try to occupy those islands or the right bank, but we guard this shore here and actively repel their attacks.
If we talk about the change in Russian tactics, since August, their tactical change has shifted toward using drones, these are FPV drones and Mavic-type drones. FPV drones are suicide drones that come and hit infrastructure or transportation targets. The Mavics drop explosives on people from above. As a result, in the last month alone, in February, 100 people were injured, including 10 killed and 90 wounded, and two children are among them. These attacks continue. If we talk about last week, just 2,200 drone attacks were carried out by the Russians from the left bank to the right bank. Of these, 1,600 were brought down by our soldiers with anti-drone systems and anti-drone guns. This is our situation.
Yes, Mr. Tolokonnikov, are the areas in Kherson that are being bombarded by Russia civilian areas? Or are there still civilians in those areas where the bombardments continue?
Yes, of course. Most of the victims are civilian citizens. The Russians have posted on their social media that they attack everyone who is in the 20-kilometer coastal area on the right bank. This is how they justify their attacks. Most attacks are by drones. They attack civilian citizens who are on the street, buses that are moving, and public taxis, in addition to medical facilities, medical transport, emergency services, police. Most of the time they attack civilians, civilian infrastructure and citizens - children, elderly women. On social media, they boast about how they attacked an elderly woman or a man passing by on a bicycle. This is very frightening, but in this way, they commit those war crimes that later, we are sure, will be used against the Russian Federation in international court.
Mr. Tolokonnikov, how do you defend yourselves? Can you defend yourselves against those attacks by the Russian army on Kherson?
Yes, with the military administration of the region, with the soldiers, the military administration of the region has started a system of this kind, building a system called an electronic protection dome, radio-electronic protection that is created by the soldiers with the help of various devices that disable drones at different frequencies and, in this way, we are now building a wall from the left bank to shut down Russian drones. We understand that this is a very difficult task, the soldiers also know this, because placing those devices must be at a specific distance from each other, but each device is designed for a specific frequency. This is a very precise task. We need to understand that now the Russians use one frequency and it works, meaning when the drones come, they fall, but perhaps another frequency has no effect. Meaning it doesn't work on other drones. Therefore, the Russians constantly change frequencies, we constantly change devices or change their locations. This is an ongoing technological war and, in this way, we have been able to bring the drone shutdown rate to 80 percent, but we continue to work until that remaining 20 percent is brought down. Besides this, we work with anti-drone guns, even with handheld weapons to bring down those drones.
So Mr. Tolokonnikov, let me ask you about military aid. Until now as we are talking, how many European countries are providing you with military assistance? Is the assistance continuing?
All of Europe helps us. We feel this and, especially, we sign memorandums of understanding with Germany, with charitable institutions and charitable foundations from different countries, like the Netherlands. Recently, a memorandum was signed with Great Britain, with the Lincolnshire region. Another was signed with Italy, with the Liguria region. All these countries want to help, all the European Union. They want to help and they help Ukraine. Of course, there are some countries that are still hesitant, because there is internal support. We understand that most of the time this is the position of the leadership, not the people of that country. We are confident that all of Europe, all people, like the United States, support Ukraine.
Yes, meaning America's support for Ukraine continues?
As we see, military aid has resumed, our partners spread this news and we are sure that all people, most of the American people, support us and condemn the crimes of the Russian Federation on Ukrainian soil because this is, first of all, a war for democracy against dictatorship.
You had a problem with the decreasing number of your soldiers. Does this problem still exist?
Most of the time we have shortages in equipment, weapons and air defense systems, as well as weapons for air warfare, bringing down missiles and defending against those Russian Su-4 and Su-35 aircrafts that constantly drop guided aircraft bombs on the front-line areas. This is a very dangerous weapon. This guided bomb travels about 70 kilometers, then destroys several neighborhoods of various sizes. These bombs - FAB-500, FAB-1000, and FAB-1500 - are very destructive. They destroy hospitals, kindergartens, and several residential neighborhoods. Such a weapon is difficult to bring down, so defense must be made against the aircraft that carry them, and this is on all front lines of confrontation, Kherson region, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Sumy, sometimes they carry bombs there too.
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Viladmir Putin had a long phone call yesterday. Although you are a military man, to what extent are you aware of the conversation and do you think a ceasefire will be manifested soon?
We are confident that Trump first considers Ukraine's objectives. We also see that military aid from America to Ukraine continues. So we are confident that he primarily supports Ukraine. Regarding the talks and the possible ceasefire and what Putin promises, it's difficult to talk about that. We don't see it on the battlefield that the attacks really end. Because we, unfortunately, it's not the first day, it's not the first year that we are fighting with Russia. All this started in 2014. At that time also there were several statements from the Russian dictator about a ceasefire, but despite that, the attack on the front-line cities continued. So believing in the promises is difficult. This is not true. Only by force can this dictator be stopped.
Regarding the civilians, Mr. Tolokonnikov, have many civilians left Kherson, meaning have most families evacuated?
If we talk about these two years, officially 49,000 people have asked us for help, including 5,000 children. These people have requested evacuation, now 143,000 people remain in the region. This is about 30 percent of the inhabitants who lived there before the Russians' large-scale attack on Kherson. So now 30 percent of the people have remained living there, and most of them are elderly.
Are food and daily necessities and health necessities available in Kherson?
Yes, everything is available. The hospitals are functioning, they are supported in the best way. We constantly control this. Also, pharmacies work, there are supermarkets. Now big businesses are not returning to the Kherson region, but we are actively working on mine clearance. Now 65 percent of the right bank area has been cleared, this is 445,000 hectares out of a total of 683,000 hectares of land. Now this work continues, because Kherson is an agricultural region and it's very important for us to clear the fields, because we are a grain-producing region for all of Ukraine and the world. Oo that our farmers can raise the economic level, a lot depends on this, so we are ready for this. Of course, all necessities are available such as electricity and gas. Of course in the coastal areas 40 towns are without electricity and gas, because they are attacked, the Russians destroy all infrastructure, but we hope that even in these days of ceasefire, if there really is a ceasefire, we can repair those areas that for more than two years have no electricity and gas.
You mentioned electricity, meaning power stations and energy are still being bombed by the Russian army?
Yes, they are constantly attacked, transformers and gas distribution stations are constantly attacked, as well as mobile communication towers, they are constantly attacked by drones, so that people do not have means of communication.
Regarding the people who have been displaced, the people who have left Kherson and have been displaced, where have they mostly gone?
Most people have gone to Germany and Poland, then fewer to the Scandinavian countries. Many people have gone to the Baltic countries. Also, of course, England, Canada, and Spain. These are, in general, the countries where most people have gone. Of course, there are many other countries that fewer have gone to, but still many people have gone there. Now Ukrainians are scattered everywhere.
