Ukraine Says 33,000 Russian Drones Downed in March

Ukraine says its air defences shot down more than 33,000 Russian drones in March, the highest monthly total since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to the country’s defence minister.

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Officials also said Ukrainian long-range drones struck a Russian oil refinery on the Black Sea coast for the third time this month, triggering evacuations and warnings from Moscow about possible environmental damage.

Record number of drones intercepted

Ukraine’s defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, said interceptor systems had destroyed more than 33,000 Russian drones of various types during March. The figure represents a monthly record since the start of the war.

Kyiv has invested heavily in drone technology during the conflict, developing systems that officials say have helped offset Russia’s larger military.

Interceptor drones have become an increasingly important part of Ukraine’s air defence network, which combines electronic warfare, missile systems and mobile drone units designed to target incoming aerial threats.

Ukrainian officials say the country’s experience on the battlefield has also drawn interest from other regions. Middle Eastern and Gulf countries have begun exploring the use of interceptor drones, particularly amid rising tensions linked to the war involving Iran.

Fedorov said Ukraine is expanding production and supply of interceptor drones to counter continuing Russian aerial attacks. The Ukrainian military has also established a new command structure within the air force to strengthen its drone operations.

Growing range of Ukrainian strikes

Ukraine’s defence ministry said the country’s offensive drone capabilities have also expanded significantly since the beginning of Russia’s invasion.

At the start of the conflict in 2022, Ukrainian forces were able to strike targets roughly 630km (400 miles) away, the ministry said.

Officials now say Ukrainian long-range systems can reach targets up to about 1,750km (1,100 miles) behind Russian lines.

That increased range has allowed Ukrainian forces to target oil facilities that generate revenue for Russia’s war effort, as well as factories linked to military production.

Oil refinery hit on Black Sea coast

Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces said its drones struck an oil refinery at the Russian port of Tuapse on the Black Sea in a coordinated operation involving several defence and security agencies.

The strike marked the third attack on the facility in less than two weeks, according to Ukrainian officials.

They said two earlier attacks this month destroyed 24 oil storage tanks and damaged four others, though these claims could not be independently verified.

Video released by Krasnodar regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev showed thick black smoke rising above the refinery. Footage also appeared to show oil products spilling onto a nearby street, damaging several vehicles.

Kondratyev said residents living near the refinery were being evacuated but did not provide details about the number of people affected.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the attacks could lead to “serious environmental consequences,” according to the Interfax news agency, though he added that authorities reported no immediate major threats.

Drone attacks reported on both sides

Russia’s defence ministry said its air defences intercepted 186 Ukrainian drones overnight across several regions, as well as over the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the annexed Crimean peninsula.

In Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, three people were killed and three others injured in a drone attack, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Ukrainian officials reported that Russian drone strikes also caused casualties inside Ukraine.

Two civilians were killed in the northeastern city of Chuhuiv in the Kharkiv region, regional military administration head Oleh Syniehubov said.

In Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a 40-year-old man was killed and five others were injured.

Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were wounded in a rare daytime drone strike on the capital.

Another Russian attack on the northern Ukrainian city of Konotop disrupted electricity and water supplies, local authorities said.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 29 April 2026