Russia intensifies drone warfare in Ukraine, scales back missile use

Military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko analyzed the issue, Obozrevtel reports.

In a notable shift in battlefield strategy, Russian forces in March 2025 significantly reduced large-scale missile strikes against Ukraine, focusing instead on unprecedented use of 'kamikaze' and FPV drones. Ukrainian defense analysts confirmed that March saw one of the lowest monthly missile counts since the full-scale invasion began, while drone attacks hit record highs.

Only one major missile barrage was recorded last month, occurring on March 7, involving 57 missiles alongside a wave of Shahed-136 drones. For the rest of the month, Russia relied on sporadic ballistic strikes—primarily Iskander-class missiles—with a total of 83 rockets launched and 36 intercepted.

Meanwhile, the skies over Ukraine were saturated with drones. Russian forces launched an astonishing 4,196 Shahed-type 'kamikaze' drones in March alone, up from 3,907 in February. The shift in drone tactics—flying at higher altitudes and diving onto targets at extreme speeds—led to a drop in interception rates and signaled a move away from traditional defense strategies.

FPV drones also saw a dramatic increase, with over 22,000 deployed last month, averaging more than 700 per day—nearly triple the number used during the same period in 2024. Other systems like the low-cost Molniya-2 drone and loitering munitions such as Lancet were also employed, though in smaller numbers.

This evolution in Russian tactics emphasizes the growing role of cheap, unmanned systems in modern warfare and suggests a recalibration may be needed in Ukraine’s air defense strategy—particularly to counter high-altitude drones and rapidly evolving FPV threats.

• On the evening of April 1, the Russian occupying army launched strike drones at Ukraine. In a frontline community in the Zaporizhzhia region, there are casualties, including one dead and several wounded. People were also injured in Kharkiv, including children.