Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that the Defense Forces, which do not allow the enemy to resume the offensive, hold the strategic initiative, and among the key factors are unmanned forces: in just four months, drones neutralized more occupiers than Russia manages to recruit, but the enemy also expanded the number of its unmanned systems troops, writes UNN.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine maintain the strategic initiative and do not allow Russian troops to resume a large-scale offensive. One of the key factors of our advantage is unmanned forces
As the Commander-in-Chief emphasized, "it is these units that are currently inflicting the most massive and effective damage on the enemy."
For four consecutive months, starting from December 2025, our unmanned systems units have been neutralizing more enemy personnel than he recruits into his ranks
"Thus, in March, compared to February, the indicator of total enemy personnel losses inflicted by our unmanned systems units increased by 29%. I thank our soldiers for their effective work!" - Syrskyi stated.
On average, per day, unmanned forces units, according to him, "already perform more than 11 thousand combat missions." "At the same time, according to the results of March, 50% more verified targets were hit compared to February statistics. This is more than 150 thousand," the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.
Separately, he highlighted "the increase in the effectiveness of our Middle Strike assets." "Almost 350 strikes at operational depth (30-120 km). 143 logistics facilities and enemy warehouses, 52 command posts of the Russian army, 20 oil and energy facilities of the enemy, and much more were hit," Syrskyi noted.
According to him, this is a comprehensive result of the work of domestic manufacturers of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), the growing skill of operators, and the organizational decisions we have made.
"Our ground robotic systems in March also increased the number of completed tasks by more than 50% compared to February," he added.
Interceptor drones shot down a record number of enemy drones in March - Fedorov08.04.26, 20:44
"At the same time, the enemy is not standing still. According to our intelligence, as of early April, the occupiers expanded the number of their unmanned systems (UAS) troops to 101 thousand servicemen, and by the end of 2026, they plan to bring it to 165.5 thousand. Therefore, we have no right to stop in this decisive confrontation," Syrskyi reported.
The Commander-in-Chief reported that the further development of unmanned systems units in various branches and types of troops (forces) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is underway. During the meeting, he heard reports, in particular, on the state of capability acquisition of UAS units in the Ground Forces and Territorial Defense Forces, as well as on the use of unmanned marine vessels.
An especially valuable part of such meetings, according to him, is the exchange of experience between representatives of combat brigades and battalions. "This time, it is worth noting the comprehensive work of the 414th separate unmanned systems brigade (obrbs) "Birds of Madyar" in detecting and destroying enemy UAV landing sites," he noted.
"A telling figure: enemy pilot positions were suppressed by 26% more in March than in February," Syrskyi emphasized.
Following the meeting, the Commander-in-Chief reported that he had defined tasks for the development of our unmanned systems. "We continue to break the enemy's back and at the same time save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers," he stressed.