Ukraine’s drones have inflicted over 300,000 russian casualties since the start of 2026
Units of the Defence Forces of Ukraine have killed or wounded 302,000 russian military personnel using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) since the start of 2026.
Every hit is recorded on video in the DELTA combat system and verified by the Brave1 defence innovation cluster.
russian casualties from drones in 2026 by month
In just under 10 months of 2026, the month-by-month figures for russian military personnel killed or wounded by drones are as follows:
- January: 29,572;
- February: 26,204;
- March: 33,989;
- April: 33,961;
- May: 30,548;
- June: 27,072;
- July: 30,272;
- August: 29,554;
- September: 32,739;
- October 1–25: 27,829.
Thus, the heaviest russian personnel losses so far were recorded in March, at nearly 34,000 troops.
Why hitting russian troops with drones matters
Hitting enemy troops with drones makes it possible to deplete the enemy’s manpower, reduce the combat effectiveness of its units, and slow the pace of its offensive.
In addition, destroying enemy manpower with UAVs helps save the lives of Ukrainian service members by making it harder for the enemy to approach our positions.
That is why the Ministry of Defence is systematically working to supply units with drones. In 2026, the Defence Procurement Agency DOT of the Ministry of Defence has contracted 300% more UAVs than last year. These are unmanned systems of various types and purposes.
For verified hits, service members will receive points that they can exchange for drones, electronic warfare (EW) systems, and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) on the Brave1 Market military marketplace.
