Russia expands drone forces to 165,000 personnel
Russian occupation forces are actively increasing the size of their unmanned systems units. As of early April, their number has reached 101,000 personnel and is expected to grow to 165,500 by the end of 2026.
This was reported by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
He emphasized that Ukraine is also continuing to develop unmanned systems units across various branches of the military, noting that these forces remain one of the key factors in deterring Russia’s offensive.
“For four consecutive months, starting in December 2025, our unmanned systems units have been neutralizing more enemy personnel than the enemy is recruiting. During a meeting on the development of unmanned systems, we reviewed and analyzed the results of March,” Syrskyi said.
According to him, in March:
- enemy losses inflicted by drones increased by 29% compared to February
- the number of targets hit rose by 50%, exceeding 150,000
- Ukrainian units carried out more than 11,000 combat missions daily
The commander-in-chief also highlighted the effectiveness of strikes at operational depth (30–120 km).
“I would also like to note the growing effectiveness of our Middle Strike capabilities. Nearly 350 strikes were carried out at operational depth (30–120 km). A total of 143 enemy logistics facilities and warehouses, 52 Russian army command posts, and 20 oil and energy infrastructure sites were hit, among many others. This is a comprehensive result of the work of domestic UAV manufacturers, the growing skill of operators, and the organizational decisions we have made,” he added.
Syrskyi stressed that Ukraine’s Defense Forces are maintaining the strategic initiative and preventing Russian troops from resuming a large-scale offensive.
The total combat losses of Russian forces since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as of April 9, 2026, amount to approximately 1,307,540 personnel. Over the past day, another 1,040 troops were killed.
Over the past three months, Ukrainian forces have disrupted Russian plans for a spring–summer campaign in the Oleksandrivsk direction and seized the initiative.
Earlier, the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported eliminating another 980 Russian troops and two air defense systems in one day.
Ukrainian airborne assault forces are expanding a logistical corridor toward Myrnohrad.
Ukraine’s Defense Forces continue to repel Russian offensive attempts in the areas of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad.
Pokrovsk has become a critically important direction for Ukraine’s defense.
Units of Ukraine’s Defense Forces in the area of responsibility of the “East” operational group repelled 106 Russian attacks over the past day.
Syrskyi also commented on the current situation near Pokrovsk.
