According to Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukrainian drones have been hitting an "absolute record" number of Russian targets. From October 30 to November 6, Ukrainian airborne drones claimed to have hit 335 Russian positions. These figures were outlined by Fedorov in a post on Telegram and Twitter. However, it is important to note that these figures are unverified, as Western officials sometimes provide different statistics. Nevertheless, Ukraine claims to have destroyed 36 tanks, 83 armored combat vehicles, 18 self-propelled artillery systems, and 72 trucks during this record week.
Ukraine has been extensively using drones throughout the war to target Russian soldiers, destroy tanks, and damage ships. However, military analysts believe that Ukraine still has a long way to go before catching up with Russia in terms of drone technology. Melissa Haring, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, points to the lack of drone pilots, sophisticated drones, and poor quality Ukrainian equipment as the main challenges.
To address these issues, Ukraine is working on ramping up its domestic production and moving away from relying on Chinese-made drones. Russia, on the other hand, is reportedly using drones with engines sourced from Chinese e-commerce giant AliExpress and larger Iranian-made exploding drones to continue its attacks on Ukraine. Russian forces have also utilized Lancet drones, which crash into their targets, effectively countering Ukraine's counteroffensive.
In summary, Ukraine claims to have hit a record number of Russian targets using drones, but these figures are unverified. Ukraine still lags behind Russia in terms of drone technology, with challenges such as a lack of drone pilots, sophisticated drones, and poor quality equipment. Ukraine is working on improving its domestic production, while Russia relies on drones with Chinese-sourced engines and larger Iranian-made exploding drones.