Ukraine's defence minister announced that Ukrainian forces shot down a record 33,000 Russian drones in March, the highest monthly total since the full-scale invasion began over four years ago. The announcement comes as Ukraine's domestically developed long-range attack drones struck a Russian oil refinery and Black Sea terminal for the third time in less than two weeks, prompting local evacuations.
Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated on Telegram that Ukraine is increasing its supply of interceptor drones to counter Russian aerial attacks. The military has also established a new command within the air force to bolster capabilities. Ukrainian officials report that interceptor drones are now being sought by Middle Eastern and Gulf countries for protection amid the war in Iran.
Ukraine's offensive capabilities have significantly improved, with the Defence Ministry stating that the range of deep-strike operations has more than doubled since February 2022. Initially, Ukrainian forces could hit targets approximately 630 kilometres away; they are now capable of striking targets up to 1,750 kilometres behind enemy lines. This enhanced range has enabled Ukraine to target Russian oil installations and manufacturing plants.
The latest strike on the Tuapse oil refinery was a coordinated operation involving multiple branches of Ukraine's defence and security services, the Unmanned Systems Forces confirmed. Earlier strikes this month reportedly destroyed 24 oil storage tanks and damaged four others, though independent verification was not possible. Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev confirmed evacuations near the refinery but provided no further details.
Russia's Defence Ministry reported intercepting 186 Ukrainian drones overnight across Russian regions, annexed Crimea, and the Black and Azov seas. In the Belgorod region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated that a drone attack killed three people and wounded three others. Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian drone attacks killed three civilians and injured five, including two deaths in Chuhuiv and one in Kryvyi Rih. An attack on Konotop caused power and water outages.
