Russian forces have almost doubled first-person view drone (FPV) attacks in three southern regions of Ukraine over the past day, Ukraine's Southern Command reported on March 24.
FPV drones are cheap to manufacture. They offer precise targeting capabilities and can be flown directly into targets, possessing the capacity to destroy significantly more costly military hardware.
Over the past day, the Russian forces deployed 234 FPV drones in Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, increasing their number by almost 40%, according to the report.
Drones play a wide-ranging role on both sides of Russia's war against Ukraine, from basic reconnaissance to long-range strikes deep behind the enemy's lines. The full-scale invasion has fueled a significant increase in the production of drones, as well as their technical innovation.
The same day, Russian forces carried out pinpoint strikes with cruise and ballistic missiles in the Mykolaiv Oblast, with a hit recorded in open territory outside populated areas.
No casualties were reported in the Mykolaiv Oblast attacks.
Russia has recently once again intensified its attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, with the March 22 strike damaging the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant, Ukraine's largest hydroelectric station.
The Ukrainian military also said that Russian forces deployed 13 Lancet combat drones and dropped 269 munitions from various drones over the past day.
“There is a steady trend of at least a 15% increase daily. But our electronic warfare systems are effectively combatting them,” the Southern Command said in a Telegram post.
Read also: War from above: A day with drone unit defending Ukraine’s south
