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Ukraine may have surpassed Russia in number of drones, commander says

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Ukraine may have surpassed Russia in number of drones, commander says
Pilots of the "Sharp Kartuzy" division of FPV (first-person-view) kamikaze drones prepare drones for a combat flight on May 16, 2024, in Kharkiv Oblast. (Photo by Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)

Ukraine is increasing the supply of drones to the army and may have gotten ahead of Russia in terms of their number, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Vadym Sukharevskyi told Army TV.

Kyiv is working to scale up domestic production of unmanned aerial vehicles, aiming to produce at least 1 million drones in 2024.

In the first half of 2024, Ukrainian soldiers received six times more drones than last year, Sukharevskyi said in an interview published on July 18.

"And this is a joint victory of both the General Staff and the Defense Ministry," he added.

According to Sukharevskyi, Ukraine has more than 165 drones of various types that are being tested and used on the battlefield now.

“In terms of the number of drones, we are clearly not losing, and we may have even surpassed (Russia). But, for example, the ties between Russia and China give (Russia) a greater advantage in terms of replacing components,” the colonel said.

Throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine and Russia have heavily invested in drone technology, revolutionizing warfare. For outnumbered Ukrainian forces, drones have been one of the key weapons to strike Russian warships, naval bases, oil refineries, and airfields inside occupied territories and deep behind enemy lines.

Kyiv officially presented its Unmanned Systems Forces on June 11, four months after President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree ordering the creation of a separate branch of the armed forces tasked with improving drone operations.

‘We set a precedent.’ Ukraine officially presents Unmanned Systems Forces
Ukraine officially presented its Unmanned Systems Forces on June 11, four months after President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree ordering the creation of a separate branch of the armed forces tasked with improving drone operations. The announcement comes a day after Defense Minister Rustem Umero…
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"The Russians personally visited the central districts of Kyiv, in particular Independence Square, assessed the situation on the spot and further adjusted... the operational plan of neutralizing protest actions with the forceful dispersal of demonstrators," the State Bureau of Investigation said.

"Last night, Poland's airspace was breached 19 times by drones manufactured in Russia. The assessment of Polish and NATO air forces is that they did not veer off course, but were deliberately targeted," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in a video statement.

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