Ukraine hits over 200 military targets in Russia using drones within a year, Umerov says

Ukraine has destroyed or damaged over 200 military facilities in Russia over the past year using “drone swarm” technology, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov wrote in an opinion piece for Forbes Ukraine published on Sept. 23.
“Today, Ukrainian drones fly over 1,000 kilometers (623 miles), reaching Murmansk and the Volga region, destroying Russian oil refineries and airfields,” Umerov wrote.
Among the targets of Ukrainian forces were control centers, airfields, ships, air defense systems, and Russian military bases, the minister added.
According to the minister, Ukraine has increased its long-range military capabilities “several times” this year. Particularly, in 2024, the Defense Ministry contracted drones worth over Hr 21 billion ($507.6 million) in total and ammunition for drones worth Hr 9 billion ($217.5 million).
Recent Ukrainian drone attacks have forced Russia to relocate its aircraft to airfields 250 kilometers (156 miles) from the Ukrainian-Russian border, Umerov said.
The Ukrainian military has proven to be a pioneer in drone technology, using innovative ways to undermine Russia’s ammunition and personnel advantage.
Aerial drones have been used to ram into Russian helicopters or drop molten metal on ground positions, while naval drones were a key component in upending Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea.
In recent months, Ukraine has increased the number of large-scale attacks on Russian territory. Ukraine has used over 100 drones in a number of its recent strikes against Russia.
On Sept. 18, Ukrainian drones attacked one of the largest arsenals in Russia, causing a powerful detonation in the town of Toropets in Russia’s Tver Oblast, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine’s attack on the arms depot in Russia’s Tver Oblast destroyed two to three months’ worth of munitions, according to the Estonian Defense Forces Intelligence Center.