Briefly
The opponent’s systematic work to deploy UAV units is accelerating, and this has direct consequences for tactics on the southern direction. According to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi and the head of the Unmanned Systems Forces Robert (Madyar) Brovdi, in February more than 86,000 personnel were already serving in Russian unmanned units, and the goal is to raise this figure to 101,000 by April 1.
Enemy resources and the real threat
Russia is trying to convert technological advantage into quantitative pressure: according to the data, the enemy is capable of producing over 19,000 FPV drones per day. This allows it to extend the length of the “kill zones” and create local superiority in certain sectors of the front, particularly in the south, where Moscow is trying to regain the initiative.
"The full-scale war has entered a new stage. The increase in the length of 'kill zones' is a consequence of the growing capabilities of strike UAVs."
— Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
What Ukraine is already doing
The advantage in the use of multirotor FPV drones is still on the side of the Armed Forces: in February Ukrainian drones struck more than 105,200 enemy targets, and about a quarter of those strikes are attributed to the Unmanned Systems Forces. At the same time, an FPV direction with fiber-optic control is developing, which provides advantages in range and control-channel reliability — in one month such means struck about 4,200 enemy pilot positions.
To counter mass strikes, the Russians are forming drone-interceptor platoons — their task is to destroy enemy FPV and strike drones and support logistics. Their arsenal includes anti-drone shotguns, electronic warfare (EW) systems, net launchers and other technical solutions. Separately, the Armed Forces are increasing use of ground robotic systems: over the past month they completed more than 2,300 tasks, mostly logistical, but also including engineering and combat operations.
Context and social proof
Analysts and commanders on the ground note: the expansion of “kill zones” is not only about the number of drones, but about production compatibility, logistics, operator training and the comprehensive integration of strike capabilities. In December 2025 the commander of RUBAK, in a comment to LIGA.net, already noted the trend toward the expansion of the “kill zone” in favor of the Russians — this is not an isolated signal but a trend confirmed by both intelligence data and combat statistics.
What’s next: conclusion and practical steps
The facts suggest a simple but demanding solution: to win the "war of technologies," Ukraine must quickly turn tactical successes into a sustainable strategic advantage — through accelerated development, mass production, procurement and integration of air defense and EW systems into front-line schemes. This is a task not only for the Ministry of Defense, but also for partners, industry and donors: declarations must turn into contracts and deliveries.
The key question now is whether there are enough resources and time to scale the current advantage of Ukrainian operators and engineers to a level that neutralizes the enemy’s numerical superiority. The answer to that question will determine not only tactical stability on particular sections of the front, but also the pace of restoring control over territories.
"I would like to emphasize separately the importance of developing the direction of ground robotic systems. Over the past month they completed more than 2,300 tasks — mostly logistical, but there are also engineering and combat ones."
— Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
