In the initial weeks of the conflict, Vladyslav Tovstyi’s platoon faced a dire situation as Russian forces tightened their encirclement. In desperation, they deployed a civilian drone, purchased off the market, sending it into the air.

"After launching the Mavic, we could see 50 enemy assets and direct artillery fire", Tovstyi recounted. "Before that, we had no idea about these fire points".

More than four years into the war, the situation has changed significantly. Tovstyi is now among the high-tech soldiers, commanding dozens of drone operators from an underground command bunker in Donetsk.

High-resolution screens line the insulated walls, each displaying a drone's view of Russian forces or equipment, or a complex network of trenches and barbed wire.

Vladyslav Tovstyi (right) at the underground command center in Donetsk on 7/5. *Photo: WP*

Tovstyi's laptop connects him to other units operating drones deep inside Russian territory. Some efforts aim to disrupt rear supply lines, while others target oil refineries thousands of kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

With funding from Europe, Ukraine has become an increasingly formidable weapons producer, especially of drone systems. From a handful of off-the-shelf quadcopters, Ukraine has developed a three-tiered drone network: short-range, medium-range, and long-range.

A new generation of strategically long-range, Ukrainian-made drones is penetrating deeper into Russian territory than ever before, forcing Moscow to bolster defenses in areas it never anticipated would be threatened. In february, a drone struck an oil refinery in the Komi Republic near the arctic circle, after a journey of nearly 1,780 km.

Tens of thousands of medium-range combat drones now cover an area with a radius of over 300 km behind the front lines, disrupting supply routes, targeting rear command centers, and hunting Russian air defense batteries.

Along the front line, which stretches over 1,200 km, Ukraine is reducing the number of soldiers in combat zones by increasing the use of drone teams. Aerial drones help detect and attack Russian soldiers, while ground robots assist in resupplying Ukrainian troops and evacuating the wounded.

Russia's advance, which at its peak last year controlled an average of nearly 400 km2 of Ukrainian territory each month, has slowed. In april, for the thu nhat time in nearly two years, Russia lost more controlled territory than it gained, according to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Yevgen Karas, who commanded some of the initial experimental long-range drone teams in 2022, stated that the number of long-range attack drones launched by Ukraine each month has increased 20-30 times since then. The monthly number of medium-range drones has also risen by 1,000%.

"I think they will face bigger trouble in the remainder of this year because we will launch even more attacks. For Russia, those will be difficult times", Karas said at the command center in Dnipro.

Moment a Ukrainian drone bypassed air defenses during an attack on a Russian warship on 23/5. *Video: Militarnyi*

Karas launched one of the first behind-the-lines attacks in 9/2022, hitting a Russian fuel depot over 80 km away with a drone. At that time, the drone had to take off so close to the front line that its operators were positioned amid Russian fire.

Now, they strike hundreds of targets monthly from secret control centers across Ukraine, where connectivity to the power grid and Internet is more crucial than proximity to the front. On 27/5, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced a new USD 112 million "logistics blockade" program to enable the country to conduct more medium-range attacks on Russian targets.

"Russia's offensive is seriously slowing down", acknowledged Sergei Markov, a Kremlin-aligned Russian political analyst.

Markov stated that Ukraine's medium-range drone attacks have disrupted the transportation of essential supplies and soldiers to the front. "Now they are forced to stay more than 150 km away from Ukrainian positions. This is reducing the operational maneuverability of Russian forces", he said.

In march alone, Ukraine launched 7,000 drones, surpassing Russia in the number of deployed unmanned aerial vehicles for the thu nhat time, according to data published by ABC News.

However, Ukraine continues to face persistent challenges since the start of the conflict. It lacks soldiers, interceptor missiles, and relies heavily on European funding.

The European Union last month approved a loan worth 90 billion euro (approximately 105 billion USD), but Ukraine is reportedly still facing a budget shortfall of about 60 billion USD.

Ukrainian soldiers prepare a combat drone in Zaporizhzhia on 24/5/2025. *Photo: AFP*

Analysts say Ukraine's display of drone power does not mean it is on the verge of a complete victory, according to The Washington Post. The front line still sees fierce fighting, and Ukrainian officials recorded 233 battles in just mot day last week.

Russia also launched one of the largest airstrikes of the war last weekend, using suicide drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, including an Oreshnik hypersonic missile. Russian forces currently still control about 20% of Ukrainian territory, and neither side is close to a decisive military victory.

Nevertheless, Ukraine is beginning its 5th summer of conflict with increasing confidence.

"This is a war of attrition. It's like an unlimited rounds boxing match. We just need to stand on our feet until the last round", said Mykola Bielieskov, a researcher at the National Institute for Strategic Studies of Ukraine and a senior analyst at the non-profit Come Back Alive.

Thanh Tam (According to The Washington Post, AFP, Reuters)