Ukraine holds edge over Russia in attack drones, official says
Photo: Pavlo Palisa, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
Currently, the ratio of strike drones deployed by Ukrainian forces to those used by the Russians is 1.3 to 1. The Ukrainian Armed Forces hold the advantage, says Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
"We recently analyzed the results of the Russian counteroffensive in the Kursk sector. At that time, Russia had a significant advantage in the use of fiber-optic drones. This was partly what enabled them to achieve the result they needed," Palisa says.
In addition, according to him, in the first half of last year, there was a sharp increase in the enemy’s use of strike drones, primarily FPV drones. In other words, the Armed Forces of Ukraine were far from parity with them. And this affected the pace of the Russians’ advance.
"However, the ratio of front-strike drone usage between Ukraine and Russia is now somewhat different - it’s 1.3 to 1 in our favor. That is, we use 30% more front-strike drones than Russia. And this is yielding results," notes the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office.
Moreover, the daily percentage of drones operating on fiber-optic lines (despite all existing issues with materials, procurement, contracting, etc.) among the total number of strike drones in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is 32%, while for the Russians it is 24%.
According to Palisa, this allows us to assess the progress Ukraine has made over the past year.
"And here the issue is not only about quantity, but also about quality. To be honest, the quality is the same as that of Russia, because they are also improving their capabilities, but we have made a very significant leap forward. And this is an example that demonstrates how reaction speed and the ability to scale necessary projects influence results on the battlefield, and how technology helps offset the enemy’s numerical superiority," he notes.
The Deputy Head of the Presidential Office cites statistics regarding the front line as a whole. However, in some areas, the enemy still maintains a numerical advantage in the use of attack drones, and Ukrainian troops are undoubtedly feeling the impact of this.
"There are sections where the Russians are concentrating their efforts and trying to establish an advantage in the ‘low sky’ to ensure, first and foremost, the possibility of tactical success for their units on the ground," Palisa adds.
Ukrainian Armed Forces’ advantage in drones
Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Russia plans to expand its unmanned systems forces to 101,000 personnel.
The Russians aim to influence the course of hostilities in this way, particularly in the southern sectors, where they are losing the initiative and territory.
At the same time, the US Institute for the Study of War notes that Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure are overloading Russia’s air defense system.
As a result, the Kremlin is forced to divert vital resources from the front lines to protect strategic targets.
