Ukraine Says Its Drones Have Killed or Wounded 302,000 Russian Soldiers This Year

Ukrainian defence forces have killed or wounded 302,000 Russian soldiers with drones since the start of 2026, according to figures released by Ukraine's Ministry of Defence.

The new total is roughly 90,000 higher than the one the ministry gave at the beginning of August. At that point, it said Ukrainian drones had eliminated or severely wounded about 211,600 Russian troops since the start of the year.

The ministry also published a month-by-month breakdown. March was the peak, with 33,989 Russian soldiers killed or wounded, followed closely by April at 33,961. February was the lowest month, at 26,204.

The remaining monthly figures were 29,572 in January, 30,548 in May, 27,072 in June, 30,272 in July, 29,554 in August and 32,739 in September. In the first 25 days of October, drones accounted for a further 27,829 Russian casualties.

According to the ministry, each strike is recorded on video in the Delta combat system and then verified by the Brave1 defence innovation cluster.

The ministry described the strategy behind the drone campaign. In its words, targeting enemy personnel with drones makes it possible to "exhaust" Russia's human resources, reduce the combat capability of its units and restrain the pace of its offensive.

It added that destroying enemy manpower with unmanned aerial vehicles also helps preserve the lives of Ukrainian servicemen, because it makes it harder for Russian forces to approach Ukrainian positions.

The ministry had previously reported on the drone war in the other direction. Since the beginning of 2026, it said, Ukrainian defence forces have brought down 408,000 Russian drones, including nearly 248,000 aircraft-type drones.