Ukrainian interceptor drones are demonstrating high effectiveness in countering Russian aerial threats: since the beginning of spring 2026, they have destroyed over 2,300 enemy targets. This was reported by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, summarizing the work of air defense forces in March.
This is reported by Finway
Change of Tactics and Implementation of Innovations
According to Syrskyi, Russia is changing its tactics for air attacks, which forces Ukrainian military personnel to adapt their actions and implement new effective methods to counter strike drones. Ukrainian forces are actively increasing the number of interceptor drone crews and enhancing the training of personnel to ensure maximum effectiveness in protecting cities, towns, and critically important infrastructure facilities.
“We are accordingly adapting our actions and developing new effective methods to counter strike UAVs.”
In March, a reorganization was carried out: the Command of Unmanned Aerial Systems for Air Defense was reformed into the Command of Direct Air Defense Forces, which now operates as part of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This formation is responsible for the development and use of small air defense systems, modernization of equipment, and training of specialists.
Increased Effectiveness of Ukrainian Drones and Air Defense Innovations
Syrskyi emphasized that in March, the number of combat sorties by interceptor drones, as well as the number of destroyed targets, increased by nearly 55% compared to February. The highest effectiveness is demonstrated by domestically produced drones, the use of which the command is ready to share with international partners.
At the same time, according to the Commander-in-Chief, Ukraine needs to increase its fleet of interceptor drones, especially those equipped with automatic targeting systems. He stressed that Russia continues to increase the production and modernization of its own drones, as well as improving the tactics of their use.
In addition to interceptor drones, Ukrainian helicopters are making a significant contribution to air defense, having destroyed 379 Russian strike drones since the beginning of March. Anti-aircraft missile troops, mobile fire groups, and individual anti-aircraft machine gun battalions are also involved in downing enemy UAVs.
Oleksandr Syrskyi noted the particular attention being paid to the implementation of artificial intelligence and increasing the level of automation in air defense systems — both for interceptor drones and for aviation and ground strike means.
According to intelligence data voiced by Syrskyi, Russia plans to increase the number of personnel in unmanned systems to 101,000 by April 1. European experts also predict that in 2026, Russia may deploy between seven to nine million drones.