Ukrainian drones kill enemy faster than Russia mobilizes — Armed Forces Chief
Ukraine's Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi (photo: facebook.com/CinCAFofUkraine)
Ukrainian drones liquidated nearly 30,000 Russian troops in January, exceeding Russia's mobilization rate and giving Ukraine a technological edge on the battlefield, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
Read also: Ukrainian-made weapons show strong results: Armed Forces creating new drone units
Effectiveness of unmanned systems
The Commander-in-Chief reported that Ukrainian drone units struck 66,200 targets in January. As a result of drone operations, nearly 29,700 Russian troops were liquidated, while Russia managed to recruit only about 22,000 personnel during the same period.
"This is the gap we are aiming for: destroying more soldiers than Russia can put into formation. This level of effectiveness of our unmanned systems, if further expanded, will force Moscow to end its war of aggression," Syrskyi noted.
He added that Ukraine continues to maintain an advantage in FPV drone use, while ground-based robotic systems conducted 25% more missions in January than in December.
Enemy plans and Ukraine's response
Russia plans to significantly expand its drone forces to up to 165,000 personnel within a year. Russian forces are already deploying new jet-powered Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones, as well as domestically produced interceptor drones.
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief noted that the war has effectively become a competition of technologies, in which victory depends on who can translate technological advantages into battlefield results more quickly.
"All of this pushes us to accelerate the search for our own breakthrough technological and command solutions to counter Russian drones and overcome the enemy's layered air defense systems," he said.
To strengthen frontline capabilities, additional unmanned systems battalions will be added to the structures of selected assault regiments and Territorial Defense brigades.
Photo: Ukraine's Armed Forces Chief on the efficacy of unmanned systems (facebook.com/CinCAFofUkraine)
Photo: Ukraine's Armed Forces about the efficacy of unmanned systems (facebook.com/CinCAFofUkraine)
Photo: Ukraine's Armed Forces about the efficacy of unmanned systems (facebook.com/CinCAFofUkraine)
Photo: Ukraine's Armed Forces about the efficacy of unmanned systems (facebook.com/CinCAFofUkraine)
Ukrainian weapons against Shahed drones
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has stressed that Ukrainian-made weapons are demonstrating high effectiveness, prompting the Armed Forces of Ukraine to continue forming new drone units. Last month, domestically produced systems showed strong results in countering enemy drones.
Separately, the head of communications for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, Colonel Yurii Ihnat, commented on recent reports detailing the destruction of Shahed drones using various types of interceptor drones.
He said that Russian unmanned aerial vehicles have evolved and now represent the primary airborne threat to Ukraine.
Syrskyi also noted that in 2025, territorial recruitment centers accounted for nearly 90% of total mobilization into the Ukrainian armed forces.
