Officials say air defenses and domestically developed systems are playing a growing role as both sides intensify drone warfare.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Ukraine reported intercepting more than 33,000 Russian drones in March, marking the highest monthly total since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to statements from Ukrainian defense officials.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said interceptor drone systems have become a central component of the country’s air defense network, helping counter a sustained increase in aerial attacks from Russia. He added that a new command structure within the air force has been established to strengthen drone defense capabilities.
Ukrainian officials also reported that domestically developed long-range drones conducted another strike on a Russian oil refinery at the Black Sea port of Tuapse, the third such operation targeting the facility within two weeks. The strikes were described as a coordinated effort involving multiple branches of Ukraine’s defense and security services.
According to Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, earlier attacks this month destroyed 24 oil storage tanks and damaged four others at the site. Local authorities in Russia’s Krasnodar region said residents near the refinery were evacuated as a precaution, though no figures were provided.
Ukrainian officials say advancements in drone technology have expanded the military’s strike range. At the beginning of the invasion in February 2022, Ukrainian forces were able to reach targets approximately 630 kilometers away. That range has since increased to roughly 1,750 kilometers, allowing strikes deeper inside Russian territory, including energy infrastructure and industrial facilities linked to military production.
The developments have drawn attention from other regions. Ukrainian officials said countries in the Middle East and Gulf are expressing interest in acquiring interceptor drone systems as part of their own defense strategies.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses intercepted 186 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions, including annexed Crimea and areas near the Black and Azov seas.
Casualties were reported on both sides. In Russia’s Belgorod region, officials said three people were killed and three others injured in a drone attack. In Ukraine, authorities reported three civilian deaths and five injuries from Russian strikes.
Regional officials in Ukraine said two people were killed in Chuhuiv in the northeastern Kharkiv region. In Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a 40-year-old man was killed and five others were injured.
Another attack in Konotop disrupted essential services, knocking out electricity and water supplies, according to local authorities.
The claims regarding drone interceptions and strike impacts could not be independently verified.
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