(KYIV) – Ukrainian air defence forces have shot down more than 2,500 Russian drones in the past 24 hours, marking the highest interception rate recorded during the war and highlighting the rapid development of Ukraine’s defensive systems.
Russia has increasingly relied on large scale drone swarms to overwhelm Ukrainian air defences and target cities. Ukrainian officials say the country’s layered defence network has adapted quickly. The system combines mobile air defence units, electronic warfare tools and interceptor drones designed to destroy incoming aircraft before they reach urban areas.
Military reports indicate that thousands of Russian drones have been intercepted during recent attacks. Ukrainian defence officials say improvements in technology and tactics have significantly raised the effectiveness of these systems over the past several months.
At the same time, Ukrainian forces have targeted Russian drone infrastructure. Over the past two days, missiles struck a major storage and launch site used for Shahed drones near Donetsk International Airport in Russian occupied territory. Ukrainian authorities said Storm Shadow cruise missiles were used in the attack.
Videos and satellite images released after the strike show extensive damage around the facility. Ukrainian officials believe the location served as a storage and staging area for large scale drone launches aimed at Ukrainian cities.
Russian military bloggers have also reported growing difficulties on the battlefield. Some Russian soldiers complain that Ukrainian electronic warfare systems can disable the control systems of Russian vehicles and equipment, leaving them immobilised. Others report Ukrainian drones operating on frequencies above 9,000 megahertz which Russian warning systems struggle to detect.
One Russian blog post translated from social media described the situation as a technological gap. The writer said Russian forces had expected to maintain advantages in drone numbers and long range strike capabilities but had failed to respond to new Ukrainian methods targeting logistics routes up to 60 kilometres behind the front line.
Ukrainian strikes have also targeted energy and logistics infrastructure inside Russia. A drone attack hit the Armavir oil logistics station in Krasnodar region at around 2300 local time. Russian authorities reported fires in fuel storage tanks covering about 200 square metres of the site.
Satellite images later showed damage to several oil storage tanks. The facility forms part of a pipeline network used to distribute fuel products across southern Russia.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin faces increasing manpower shortages as the war continues. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin recently signed legislation allowing foreign citizens accused or convicted of crimes abroad to join the Russian military. Under the new law, individuals serving in the armed forces cannot be extradited for prosecution in other countries.
The measure has drawn criticism from analysts who say it reflects mounting pressure on Russia’s recruitment system as casualties increase.
Russian state media has also attempted to portray life in occupied Ukrainian territory as stable. Journalists from the Russian outlet Lenta visited the town of Vuhledar, which Russian forces captured after prolonged fighting.
Their report instead described a largely abandoned settlement. Before the war the town had around 20,000 residents. At the time of the Russian takeover in 2024, roughly 200 civilians remained. Today only a few dozen people are believed to live among the destroyed buildings.
According to the report, journalists spent hours searching the ruins before finding a small group of residents sheltering in basements. One woman identified as Iryna said she and her husband had been living underground for nearly a year after their home collapsed.
She described surviving with limited food supplies, a small stove and humanitarian aid from neighbours. The report described streets filled with debris and silent apartment blocks where no residents remain.
Internationally, Russian messaging has also shifted regarding Iran. Russian state media recently suggested Iran was never a true ally of Moscow. The argument presented to domestic audiences is that a collapse in Iranian oil production could allow Russia to expand its own exports to China.
Political developments in Europe are also attracting attention in Kyiv. Large demonstrations took place in Hungary against the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose administration has faced criticism for its pro Russian positions.
The protests come ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for 12 April. Opposition leader Péter Magyar has accused the government of corruption and has called for closer alignment with the European Union.
Separately, reports have emerged alleging that Russian military intelligence officers from the GRU have travelled to Budapest to influence the election. Hungarian authorities have not confirmed the claims.
Elsewhere in global developments, reports from Iran described oil fires and heavy smoke in Tehran following air strikes on energy infrastructure. Local footage showed dark smoke turning daylight conditions into near darkness across parts of the city.
