The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, shared key updates following a meeting with commanders of unmanned systems and electronic warfare units, focusing on the outcomes for December 2024.
In a post published on his official Facebook, Syrskyi says Ukrainian unmanned system operators successfully targeted over 54,000 russian assets during the month. Importantly, 49% of targets, or approximately 26,500, were taken down by kamikaze drones.
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Syrskyi highlighted significant progress in both the high hit rate and durability of drones on the battlefield. He specifically praised the Birds of the Magyar (aka Kryla Madiara) unit led by Major Robert Brovdy, which evolved from a drone operators company into the 414th Separate Brigade of Unmanned Aerial Systems within a year.
Among the UAV units, remarkably high effectiveness was demonstrated by:
- the unmanned systems detachment of the 46th airmobile brigade;
- the 57th Motorized Infantry Brigade;
- the 28th Mechanized Brigade;
- the 35th Marine Brigade;
- the 3rd Assault Brigade.
Looking ahead, Syrskyi announced plans to expand the number of brigades "with a reinforced unmanned component." He also stated that the development of specialized unmanned system brigade structures and operational concepts is nearing completion.
The commander-in-chief acknowledged an increase in russia's use of fiber-optic-controlled drones, which are essentially immune to electronic warfare.
"However, we are not standing still either, and have also begun to use fiber-optic FPV drones, which expands the possibilities for striking and destroying russian military equipment and personnel," Syrskyi noted.
Earlier, Defense Express reported that Ukrainian Armed Forces have completed the testing of fiber-optic drones, bringing them one step away from mass deployment across the battlefields.
Read more: Ukrainian Armed Forces Complete Testing Phase for Fiber-Optic Drones: One Step Away from Mass Deployment
