Russia fired record number of drones in March: Ukraine air force data

Russia fired more drones at Ukraine in March than in any month since it launched its 2022 invasion, intensifying deadly strikes as peace talks stalled, an AFP analysis showed Thursday (April 2, 2026).

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The analysis, which used daily reports published by Ukraine’s air force, showed Russia fired at least 6,462 long-range drones into Ukraine last month — up nearly 28% over February and the second straight monthly increase.

Russia launched 138 missiles at Ukraine in the same period, a decrease of around 52% compared with the previous month, the data showed.

Of the missiles and drones, the Ukrainian air force said it had downed nearly 90% of them, the highest interception rate since February 2025, according to the data.

The data also includes a rare daytime attack on March 24 that killed eight people and damaged the UNESCO-protected city of Lviv in western Ukraine, authorities reported.

U.S.-led talks aimed at ending the four-year war stalled in March, as Washington shifted focus to its war with Iran.

Russia, which denies targeting civilians, has ramped up its drone production to an industrial scale since the war began.

Ukraine has sought to scale up its air defences in response, deploying cheap interceptor drones to destroy their Russian counterparts.