Ukraine and Russia are locked in a battle of attrition.
As the conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues, both sides have been taking measures to deplete the others’ resources. Recently, Ukraine successfully carried out a drone strike on a Russian military encampment in the Donbas region. In retaliation, Russia has been launching more frequent drone strikes on Ukraine, targeting not just soldiers, but civilian infrastructure like hospitals and power stations.
In a nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of a recent intelligence report he received, indicating that Russia’s current strategy is to exhaust the Ukrainian armed forces through nonstop drone attacks.
“We must ensure – and we will do everything for this – that this goal of terrorists fails like all the others,” he said. “Now is the time when everyone involved in the protection of the sky should be especially attentive.”
By Zelensky’s estimates, the Ukrainian armed forces have successfully shot down approximately 80 Russian-owned, Iranian-manufactured military drones in the last few days alone. Ukraine is not merely taking the attacks, either; their military successfully carried out an attack on a squadron of Russian soldiers stationed in occupied Donetsk. Ukrainian authorities estimate over 400 Russian troops were killed, though Russia countered by saying only 63 troops were killed. This is still surprising, as Russia almost never divulges fatality statistics from its own side.
