The government of Ukraine has announced that Russia suffered significant military losses during March 2026, including more than 35,000 soldiers killed or seriously injured and the destruction of key military infrastructure.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces have slowed their territorial advances in recent months. The research organization reported that Russian troops captured about 319 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in January, 123 square kilometers in February, and only 23 square kilometers in March.
ISW analysts attribute the slowdown partly to increasing Ukrainian drone strikes and disruptions in Russian military communications following the temporary suspension of the Telegram messaging platform.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Ukraine has regained territory this year thanks largely to drone operations. According to him, Ukrainian forces have reclaimed around 470 square kilometers of land, although ISW estimates the recaptured area at approximately 334 square kilometers.
Syrskyi noted that the destruction of Russian drone-interception systems increased by nearly 55 percent in March compared with February.
Ukraine has also significantly expanded its use of drone weaponry. On April 2, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, said the country purchased large quantities of drone ammunition in the first three months of 2026, accounting for more than half of all such purchases made in 2025.
According to Fedorov, drone strikes have proven to be among the most effective and cost-efficient methods for targeting enemy positions compared with heavier conventional weapons.
On April 3, Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that Russian forces suffered major casualties in March. He said Ukrainian drone attacks alone killed or severely wounded 33,988 Russian soldiers, while artillery strikes caused an additional 1,363 casualties.
Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian forces destroyed 274 Russian air-defense systems during the month and targeted several weapons depots and other military facilities.
Ukraine also carried out strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure. On the night of March 20–21 and again on March 27, Ukrainian forces attacked two major oil processing facilities in Russia—Ust-Luga and Primorsk. These plants reportedly handle nearly 60 percent of Russia’s petroleum exports. The Ust-Luga facility temporarily halted operations after another strike on April 1.
Russia intensifies drone attacks
Meanwhile, Russia has shifted tactics in its aerial campaign against Ukraine. Russian forces previously launched most drone attacks at night but have begun conducting them during the daytime as well to increase pressure on Ukrainian defenses.
On March 24, Russia reportedly launched 339 drones during the night and another 361 during the day. Ukrainian forces claimed to have intercepted around 90 percent of them.
On April 3, Russia launched more than 500 drones against Ukrainian targets, including daytime strikes. Ukrainian authorities said at least 14 people were killed.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said its forces had targeted Ukrainian military bases, industrial facilities, energy infrastructure, transportation networks and ports on April 1 and 2. It stated that the attacks involved fighter aircraft, drones, missiles and long-range artillery striking 144 locations.
According to Russia, the strikes killed 1,305 Ukrainian soldiers within 24 hours.
Russian state news agency TASS also reported that Ukraine continues launching drone attacks on Russian territory, including the Kursk region. It said 85 Ukrainian drones were intercepted across 11 regions overnight.
On April 4, Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced that between March 28 and April 3, Russian troops captured seven settlements in the regions of Sumy, Kharkov and Zaporozhye, claiming that 8,840 Ukrainian soldiers were killed during that period and that large quantities of military equipment were destroyed or seized.