Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
For the fourth month in a row, Ukraine has taken out more Russian soldiers than Russia can replenish.
March saw Russian forces suffer a record number of casualties, with more than 35,300 soldiers killed or seriously wounded.
It is the highest number of casualties in a single month in more than four years of war.
But diving deeper into the numbers, a noticeable shift emerges in how Russian casualties are being inflicted.
And that shift could prove crucial to Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion.
29% increase in drone kills
In a statement from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine regarding the record losses in March, the ministry notes that nearly 34,000 of the hits were inflicted using UAVs.
This means that 96% of the Russian casualties in March were inflicted by unmanned aerial vehicles.
And according to Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, that represents a 29% increase compared to February, giving Ukrainian forces a continued strategic initiative by limiting Russia’s ability to launch large-scale offensives.
“For four consecutive months, starting from December 2025, our unmanned systems units have been neutralizing more enemy personnel than Russia is recruiting into its ranks,” Syrskyi said in a post on Telegram.
Ukrainian unmanned units are now conducting more than 11,000 combat missions daily, with verified successful strikes exceeding 150,000 targets in March, up by half month-on-month.
Deeper strikes expand
Syrskyi also pointed to expanded “Middle Strike” operations, targeting positions between 30 and 120 kilometres behind the front line.
Nearly 350 such strikes were carried out, hitting 143 logistics sites, 52 command posts, and 20 energy facilities, alongside other targets.
Efforts to suppress Russian drone operators also intensified, rising by 26% compared to February, reflecting improvements in coordination and technology.
Tech and tactics
“This is a combined result of the work of domestic UAV manufacturers, improved operator skills, and organizational decisions we have made,” Syrskyi emphasized.
Ground-based robotic systems also saw a surge, with completed missions increasing by more than 50% over the same period.
At the same time, Ukrainian officials acknowledge that Russia is expanding its own drone forces, with troop numbers reportedly at 101,000 and expected to grow further by 2026.
Sources: The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, RBC-Ukraine, Telegram post from Oleksandr Syrskyi, The Kyiv Post
