302,000 Russian soldiers killed or wounded by Ukrainian drones since January, Defense Ministry says

Units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces have killed or severley wounded 302,000 Russian servicemen by using drones since January 2026, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said on Oct. 27.

"Each defeat is recorded on video in the Delta combat system and verified by the Brave1 defense innovation cluster," the Defense Ministry said.

The Ukrainian military uses an incentive system in which the verified destruction of enemy personnel and military materiel awards combat units points that they can exchange for more drones, electronic warfare equipment, and other gear on an internal marketplace.

In September, 46,230 Russian soldiers were killed or irrecoverably wounded, according to figures published by the Ukrainian General Staff.

Of these, 32,739 were killed or wounded by drones, the figures show, amounting to about 70% of the total.

The highest number of casualties Ukrainian drones inflicted on the Russian military was recorded in March, with almost 34,000 soldiers killed or irrecoverably wounded.

Drones of various types now cause the vast majority of casualties on both sides. "The destruction of enemy manpower using UAVs helps preserve the lives of Ukrainian soldiers, making it difficult for the enemy to approach our positions," the ministry said.

The prevalence of drones from both sides has significantly changed assault tactics, making heavy equipment such as tanks a rare sight on the battlefield.

With the "kill zone" reaching 20 kilometers (12.4 miles), Russia has largely stopped using tanks or other heavy equipment for assault operations, Joint Forces Task Force spokesperson Viktor Trehubov said on Sept. 20. Drones have replaced many of the tanks' roles for both sides, since a tank driving close to the front would be easily spotted and hit by much cheaper drones.