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The Ukrainian army retook 115 positions from Russia’s invading army in April, the country’s commander in chief said, as he touted homegrown long-range drones as one of Kyiv’s most effective tools.
Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Thursday that April had proven especially effective for the nation’s frontline defenses, ushering scores of victories on the battlefield.
“We use active defense tactics: thanks to such actions, our soldiers restored a total of 115 positions within a month,” Syrskyi said in his monthly briefing.
With the frontlines reinforced, Syrskyi said his troops would be primarily focusing on fending off Russia’s army in the Sumy, Kursk and Donetsk regions.
While Moscow has taken back nearly all of the Russian territory Ukraine took during the surprise counter-invasion in Kursk last August, Kyiv has managed to make new advancements in the region, according to the assessment from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank.
As Russia struggles to kick out the remaining Ukrainian troops, Moscow has also found itself making little progress in Sumy, with no advancements recorded on April 30 despite a push from Moscow, the ISW found.
The Donetsk region continues to see some of the most intense fighting of the war, with Ukraine focusing on ending Russia’s advancement in Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka.
Russia has continued to assail the two cities with the hopes of controlling more of Donetsk, but as with Sumy, the Kremlin failed to make any headway on Wednesday, according to the ISW.
To further bolster his troops’ success, Syrskyi highlighted the growing effectiveness of Ukraine’s drone warfare, with Kyiv’s long-range UAVs capable of decimating Russia’s military facilities.
“In April, DeepStrike weapons hit 62 targets on the territory of the Russian Federation — we are destroying military facilities and undermining the capabilities of the aggressor’s military-industrial complex,” Syskyi said.
Kyiv has ramped up its drone deployments since the Ministry of Defense launched the “Drone Line” initiative in February, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky aiming to produce at least 30,000 long-range drones in 2025.
Ukraine is expected to get a boost in military aid following the signing of Washington’s mineral rights deal with Kyiv on Wednesday.
The State Department has already notified Congress of its intent to sell $50 million or more in military equipment to Ukraine in what would be the first deal of its kind under the Trump administration, according to reports.
English (US)