Executive Summary 

Ukraine is currently integrating drone units and infantry squads into joint assault formations to counter the ongoing offensive by Russia. During the first three months of the year, Kyiv’s up-and-coming doctrine inflicted several casualties on Moscow’s assaulters, with the majority of the 35,351 recorded casualties attributed to unmanned vehicles as of March. 

Among the recent initiatives fielded by Ukraine that enabled the recapture of 480 square kilometres of proprietary territory is the deployment of unmanned ground vehicles in combat roles, with President Zelensky confirming a historically unprecedented assault operation involving ground-based drones without infantry support in April.

Ukrainian forces have also expanded a coordinated mid-range strike campaign targeting the Russian operational depth, disrupting both its infantry sustainment capabilities and anti-air defence platforms across multiple axes in Kharkiv and Donetsk. This activity is also likely to impact the viability and execution of Russia’s planned spring offensive operations across Ukraine.