Ukraine says new combat model helped them regain control of Russian-occupied territories

Ukraine's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday it was introducing a new model of operations integrating drone warfare with infantry activity and pointed to successes announced by its top commander in retaking territory from Russian forces in the south of the country.

Top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said Kyiv's forces had regained control of nearly 50 sq km (19 sq miles) of its territory from Russia in March, building on its gains since the start of the year.

Drones have assumed a prominent role in the four-year-old war pitting Kyiv against Moscow. Both sides have also devoted resources to developing ways to intercept drones and upgrade air defences.

"A new model of warfare is being introduced, drone-assault units that combine aerial and ground unmanned systems with infantry into a single integrated system," the Defence Ministry said in a brief statement on Telegram.

"This approach has already produced results in the south, where since February a large area of territory has been liberated, precisely thanks to the use of these advanced units."

Syrskyi made his assessment of recaptured territory in a separate statement on Telegram. He also said that amid improved spring weather, Russian forces had stepped up offensive operations along almost the entire 1,200 km (775-mile) front line.

Syrskyi said the area around the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk, which Russia has been trying to capture fully since mid-2024, was among the most intense places of fighting in March.

He also singled out the Oleksandrivka, Kostiantynivka and Lyman sectors in the southeast and east as "the hottest" spots during the month.

Ukrainian counterattacks in the southeast were helping to disrupt Russian efforts around Pokrovsk and the Russian spring offensive overall, military analysts have said.

Syrskyi said last week that Ukraine has regained control of 480 sq km of territory since late January and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this month described the frontline situation as the best for Ukraine since the middle of last year.

Russian forces are engaged in a slow-moving advance across eastern Donetsk region, frequently announcing the capture of new villages.

The Russian Defence Ministry on Wednesday announced it had taken the settlement of Vovchansky Khutory in northeastern Kharkiv region.

Russia's military says it is also trying to establish buffer zones in the border regions of Kharkiv and Sumy.

In his comments on Telegram, Syrskyi said Ukrainian forces were seeking to reduce Russia's offensive capabilities by keeping up a high pace of strikes on military, defence-industrial and other facilities.

In March, Ukraine struck 76 such targets including 15 facilities in the oil-refining industry, he said.

Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian ports, refineries and fertiliser plants in an attempt to curb Moscow's revenue from commodity exports as the Iran wardrove up global prices.

-Anna Pruchnicka; Editing by Ron Popeski and Matthew Lewis/Reuters