Ukraine fighting back despite record brutal Russian drone attacks
Russia launched more drone attacks on Ukraine in March than in any other month since the 2022 full-scale invasion - but Ukraine is holding back Moscow’s advance.As Moscow rejects Kyiv’s proposal for an Easter truce fresh data reveals Moscow fired at least 6,462 long-range drones at Ukraine last month.The horror onslaught was a 28% increase compared to February’s attacks, according to the Ukrainian air force. On March 24 alone, Russia launched over 1,000 drones in 24 hours, marking one of the largest single-day drone barrages since the start of the war. That attack left at least several people dead and dozens more injured.READ MORE: Gulf war escalation as Iran defies Donald Trump surrender demandsREAD MORE: British RAF Regiment troops blow Iran killer drones out of the skies in horror attackBut Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced a positive turning point in the war, claiming the frontline situation is the best it has been in ten months. He said: "The offensive they were planning for March was thwarted by the actions of our armed forces. That is why the Russians will now simply step up their assault operations."Overall, the front line is holding ... The situation is complex, but the best it has been in the last ten months.” But the Russian attacks have continued in the past hours with Russian strikes on Kharkiv and Shostka, killing one and injuring several in drone hits across Ukraine, imposing more misery on civilians.Much of Russia’s drone strategy has been to try and dismantle the morale of Ukrainian civilians by deploying misery and suffering on their cities. Throughout Winter authorities have been forced to deploy emergency tents just to keep ordinary non combatants out of the freezing temperatures.And it is likely the increase in Russian drone attacks was due to the US diverting resources to the Iran war and ongoing peace talks. The Kremlin is desperate to present the impression to the US that it is winning the war, despite evidence to the contrary.Despite suffering a series of blows Kyiv is holding back the Russian advance and Putin’s troops are regularly taking casualties of over 1,000 a-day. The New York based think tank Institute for the Study of War said in its latest report that Ukraine has boosted attacks deep inside Russia.Repeated drone onslaughts on Russia’s oil production and distribution network have had a huge effect on Vladimir Putin ’s war chest, with which he is funding the war. Regular attacks on oil facilities have severely lowered Moscow’s ability to export oil abroad.The ISW said: “Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian oil infrastructure overnight on April 1 to 2. Russian opposition outlet Astra geolocated footage published on April 2 and assessed that the footage shows fires burning near the Bashneft-Novoil Oil Refinery in Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan, after a reported Ukrainian drone strike.”
