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Russia Building New Drone Control Points on Temporarily Occupied Territory and in Belarus, Zelenskyy Warns
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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is planning to expand the deployment of ground control stations for long-range drones on temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory as well as in Belarus.
Zelenskyy made the statement on Telegram after receiving a report from Defence Intelligence of Ukraine chief Oleh Ivashchenko on March 23.
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“We have clear information that Russia is planning further deployment of ground control stations for long-range drones both on temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine and four stations on the territory of Belarus. We will respond accordingly,” Zelenskyy wrote.
At the same time, Zelenskyy stated that Russian troops stepped up offensive activity over the past week, but the attacks mainly led to higher casualties.
Speaking after a meeting with Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Andrii Hnatov, Zelenskyy said the recent Russian assaults had come at a significant cost.
“The only tangible result for the Russian army has been an increase in their losses—just over the past seven days, more than 8,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or seriously wounded,” Zelenskyy said.
The president added that the Russian command has begun to reassess the actual situation on the battlefield, which he said differs from the reports that had previously been passed up the chain of command.
Additionally, according to the president, Ukrainian Defense Forces have disrupted a Russian offensive operation that had been planned for March 2026.
Speaking on March 16, Zelenskyy said that although Russia’s full-scale invasion continues with constant attacks and assault attempts, the scale of the fighting does not correspond to the goals the Russian command had reported to political leaders.
He added the reduced effectiveness of Russian operations reflects the resilience of Ukrainian forces and the combined impact of military resistance, international diplomacy, and support from partners.
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