Ukraine takes lead in drone warfare, Russian losses outpace recruitment, army chief says
Photo: Oleksandr Syrskyi (facebook.com)
Ukrainian drone operators have neutralized 12,500 more Russian troops than Russia has recruited into its armed forces during the same period, according to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Ukraine building up advantage in drone war
According to Syrskyi, the development of unmanned systems is crucial to gaining an advantage over Russia.
"And today we already have grounds to assert that in this competition of technology, innovation, and manufacturing capabilities, Ukraine is at least on par with Russia, and in certain areas, it is ahead of it," he emphasizes.
In the area of FPV drones, the Ukrainian Defense Forces outnumber Russia by a ratio of 1.5 to 1, and over the past few months, this advantage has continued to grow in our favor, the Commander-in-Chief notes.
May results
According to Syrskyi, in May, the Ukrainian Defense Forces' unmanned systems units:
- Struck nearly 180,000 verified Russian targets
- Improved their performance by 12.7% compared to April
- Neutralized approximately 4,000 Russian Shahed-type drones
- Struck approximately 10,000 positions of Russian drone operators.
The number of Shaheds shot down in May increased by 27% compared to the previous month.
Robots completed over 12,000 missions
Separately, Syrskyi highlights the growing role of ground-based robotic systems.
According to him, such systems are increasingly being used to deliver ammunition and supplies, evacuate the wounded, and perform other tasks in the most dangerous sections of the front.
In May, ground-based robotic systems carried out 12,500 missions. At the same time, the Commander-in-Chief notes that their potential for deployment is significantly higher, but there have been issues with the maintenance and supply of these systems since the beginning of the year.
Nearly 2,000 strikes on rear targets
During a meeting on the development of unmanned systems, the results of the Middle Strike program were also analyzed.
In May alone, the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out nearly 2,000 strikes at the operational-tactical depth.
In particular, 414 headquarters, command posts, concentration areas, and other important Russian military facilities were struck.
According to Syrskyi, the ability to strike targets more effectively at ranges of up to 200 kilometers was achieved thanks to the creation of special coordination centers within the corps, which improved coordination between Ukrainian Defense Forces units.
Russian casualties
Earlier, Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Brigadier General Pavlo Palisa, noted that Russian casualties in Donbas had tripled, while their advance remains minimal.
In Russia, the consequences of heavy losses in the war against Ukraine are also becoming increasingly apparent. In particular, due to the influx of wounded soldiers into Russia, civilian hospitals and maternity wards are being massively repurposed as military hospitals.
