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Ukraine’s Drone Campaign Targets Russia’s Fleet. More Than 1,000 Vessels Destroyed or Disabled in 2026
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Ukrainian Defense Forces have destroyed or disabled 1,039 Russian military boats and small vessels using unmanned aerial vehicles since the beginning of 2026, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.
The ministry reported that all recorded strikes were documented on video through the DELTA battlefield management system and subsequently verified by Ukraine’s Brave1 defense innovation cluster.
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According to the ministry, Russian forces sustained their highest monthly losses in July, when Ukrainian drone operators struck 236 boats and small vessels.
The second-highest number of strikes was recorded in March, with 155 vessels targeted, followed by August with 118, September with 106, and June with 103.
In April, Ukrainian forces struck 92 Russian vessels, while May accounted for 76. During the first 25 days of October, another 67 boats and small vessels were destroyed or disabled.
The lowest monthly figures were recorded at the beginning of the year, with 51 vessels struck in January and 35 in February.
Beyond operations targeting Russian vessels, Ukrainian forces have also carried out major ground offensives aimed at reclaiming occupied territory and disrupting Russian military plans.
On October 27, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Ukrainian forces had conducted three major offensive operations in 2026, including one involving a 15-kilometer underground assault behind Russian lines.
The operations included the Air Assault Forces’ offensive in the Oleksandrivka direction, Operation Vivaldi conducted by the 3rd Army Corps, and Operation VELES in the Kupiansk direction.
According to Zelenskyy, the largest territorial gains were achieved in the Oleksandrivka sector, where Ukrainian forces liberated more than 800 square kilometers. By August 12, Ukrainian troops had also recaptured 26 settlements across the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Russian military personnel losses had reached 49,040 in October as of October 29, marking the highest monthly figure since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
By October 30, Russia’s total estimated personnel losses since February 2022 had risen to approximately 1,586,500.
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