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Ukrainian Drones Account for Up to 65% of Russian Casualties, Commander Says

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Lucile Brizard
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Ukrainian Drones Account for Up to 65% of Russian Casualties, Commander Says
A Ukrainian soldier conducts a trial with an FPV drone in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on March 19, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)

Ukrainian drones have played a crucial role in the war against Ukraine, reportedly responsible for up to 65% of Russian losses, according to Yuriy Fedorenko, commander of the 429th Separate Brigade of Unmanned Systems “Achilles.”

In an interview with Army FM aired on April 15, Fedorenko explained that the introduction of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has significantly enhanced the precision of strikes on enemy forces.

“We began to see the enemy both on the line of combat contact and at certain depths within its operational space,” Fedorenko said. With the development of UAV strike weapons, Ukrainian forces were able to deploy relatively low-cost technology to target the enemy with high precision.

As part of the Ukrainian military’s ongoing reforms, specialized units dedicated to unmanned aerial systems were first established.

These began as companies of strike UAV complexes, with up to 100 servicemen, before evolving into battalions of approximately 500 personnel.

The success of these units has led to the creation of brigades, such as the “Phoenix,” “Birds of the Magyar,” “Rarog,” “K-2,” and “Achilles,” which now play a significant role in Ukraine’s drone operations.

The effectiveness of these units is assessed by three key criteria: the survivability of personnel, the number of enemy units destroyed, and the amount of equipment used.

Units that perform well across these metrics are scaled up, with the ultimate goal of establishing highly trained, large-scale regimental forces.

“The 'Drone Line' project is designed to scale the most effective unmanned systems of the Ukrainian army, helping our defenders perform the most complex tasks,” Fedorenko said, highlighting the importance of expanding both personnel training and UAV production.

In related news, Ukraine has increased its use of domestically produced ballistic and long-range cruise missiles, following a significant boost in missile production, Ukrainian Minister for Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin said at the Ukrainian Weapons 2024 forum in Kyiv on April 11.

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