Russia Launches Record Drone Attacks on Ukraine as Kremlin Rejects Easter Truce
AI Analysis
Russia significantly increased its drone attacks on Ukraine in March, rejecting a proposed Easter truce. The surge included over 6,462 UAVs, marking a record high since the 2022 invasion.
Key Takeaways
- Russia launched a record number of drone attacks on Ukraine in March 2023.
- A 28% increase in UAV attacks was noted compared to February.
- On March 24, over 1,000 drones were launched in a single day.
- Despite increased drone attacks, missile strikes decreased by 52%.
- The Kremlin rejected an Easter truce proposal, continuing drone strikes with Iranian-made Shaheds.
Why It Matters
The increase in drone attacks highlights Russia's strategic shift towards UAVs, potentially due to their cost-effectiveness and ability to bypass traditional air defenses. The rejection of the truce and continued attacks on critical infrastructure underscore the ongoing intensity of the conflict and the challenges in achieving diplomatic resolutions.
Russia launched more drone attacks on Ukraine in March than in any other month since its 2022 full-scale invasion, new data show, as the Kremlin rejected Kyiv’s proposal for an Easter truce.
Moscow fired at least 6,462 long-range UAVs into Ukraine last month, a 28% increase compared to February, according to data from the Ukrainian Air Force cited by news agency AFP.
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
On March 24 alone, Russia launched more than 1,000 drones over a 24-hour period, marking one of the largest single-day drone barrages since the start of the war, leaving at least several people dead and dozens more injured.
However, despite the surge in drone strikes, the number of missiles fired by Russia at Ukraine fell by almost 52% month-on-month, down from 288 in February to 138 in March.
Failed Easter truce
Ukraine’s state‑owned energy company Naftogaz also said on Thursday that Moscow carried out 129 attacks on Ukrainian gas and heating infrastructure during the recent 151‑day heating season.
“The Russians hit pipelines, gas production, underground storage facilities, heating systems — everything that Ukrainians depend on for heat and gas,” it said in a statement.
This comes as US-brokered peace talks between Ukraine and Russia have stalled, with Washington’s focus shifting toward the conflict in Iran.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held online talks with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as well as Senator Lindsey Graham and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Zelenskyy said he passed on an offer for an Easter truce to be relayed to Russia. The Kremlin, however, rejected the proposal, calling it a “PR stunt.”
Moscow then launched more than 700 drones, including several Iranian‑made Shaheds, into Ukraine on Wednesday, which Zelenskyy described as a response to Kyiv’s truce offer.
“This is the Russians’ response to our proposal for a ceasefire over the Easter holidays.
“Ukraine made the proposal publicly. Russia is responding with Shaheds and continues its terrorist operations against our energy sector and infrastructure,” he said in a Wednesday address, as quoted by news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.