Ukraine shot down more than 33,000 Russian drones in March, the highest monthly figure since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion more than four years ago, as Ukraine scales up production of interceptor drones but struggles with a shortage of trained operators, according to AP reports.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is producing approximately 1,000 interceptor drones daily, but lacks sufficient personnel to operate them, the Central News Agency (UDN) reported from Kyiv on January 20. Intercepting one enemy drone often requires two interceptor drones, he noted.
By comparison, Russia produces an average of 200 to 250 Shahed drones daily, with a maximum capacity of about 350 per day, according to Ukraine’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi. Moscow aims to expand its military to 2 to 2.5 million troops by 2030, Zelensky said, warning that Europe needs at least 3 million troops to counter the threat.
The cost of air defense munitions used to intercept Russian attacks in a single day can reach €80 million, Zelensky said, urging that aid deliveries from the United States arrive on schedule.
Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities expand
Ukraine’s deep-strike capabilities have more than doubled since February 2022, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday, according to AP. Ukrainian forces can now hit targets roughly 1,750 kilometers (1,100 miles) behind enemy lines — up from 630 kilometers (400 miles) at the start of the invasion.
This improved range has enabled Ukraine to strike Russian oil installations that fuel Moscow’s war machine, as well as manufacturing plants supplying Russia’s armed forces.
Ukrainian drones struck a Russian oil refinery at the Black Sea port of Tuapse for the third time this month, destroying 24 oil storage tanks and damaging four others in earlier strikes. Residents near the refinery are being evacuated after boiling oil products spilled onto streets.
Interceptor drones, part of Ukraine’s comprehensive air defense system, are now being sought by Middle East and Gulf countries amid the Iran war, according to Ukrainian officials. One Ukrainian system used by the “Darknode” unit of the 412th Nemesis regiment reportedly costs around $5,000 compared to over $150,000 for a single Russian Shahed drone, UDN and Militarnyi reported.
Russian counterattacks continue
The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 186 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian regions, occupied Crimea, and the Black and Azov Seas. In the Belgorod region on the Ukraine border, a drone attack killed three people and wounded three others, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
Meanwhile, Russian drone attacks on Ukraine killed three civilians and wounded five others, Ukrainian authorities said. Two people died in Chuhuiv in the Kharkiv region. A 40-year-old man was killed and five others injured in Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown. An attack on Konotop in the Sumy region knocked out the city’s power and water supply.
