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Drones are key for Ukraine to gain advantage over Russia, army chief says

19.03.2024 09:30
The development of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, is key for Ukraine to gain an advantage over numerically superior Russian forces, Ukraine's army chief has said.
A residential building damaged in a Russian drone attack on the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa, March 2, 2024.
A residential building damaged in a Russian drone attack on the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa, March 2, 2024.Photo: EPA/IGOR TKACHENKO

"The development of the use of unmanned systems is my priority," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Monday, as cited by the Reuters news agency.

"We are looking for asymmetric solutions to gain a qualitative advantage over a numerically superior opponent," he added on the Telegram messaging app.

The increased use of drones by both sides has been shifting the conflict away from the battlefield to strikes on each other's military, energy and transport infrastructure, Reuters reported.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Tuesday that Russia "launched seven missile strikes, 70 air strikes and 110 MLRS attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops and towns and villages across Ukraine" the previous day.

It added that "Ukraine's forces continue to inflict losses on Russian manpower and equipment, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line."

Ukrainian combat aircraft "struck nine areas of concentration of enemy manpower, weapons and military equipment, whereas Ukrainian rocket forces struck a hostile air defense system," according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, starting the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.

Tuesday is day 755 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters, ukrinform.net