Efforts are underway to rapidly expand Ukraine's ability to counter Russian drone attacks, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on June 14.

In a statement shared on Telegram, Syrskyi said he held a meeting focused on strengthening defenses against Russian strike drones, particularly Iranian-designed Shahed drones used by Russian forces to target Ukrainian cities.

"Task number one is scaling up the systems that already work effectively," Syrskyi said. "First and foremost, that means increasing the number of drone interceptors."

Russia has been escalating drone attacks against Ukraine over the past weeks, launching record 400-500 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) per night.

Syrskyi emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach that incorporates all available capabilities. "(Russia) is constantly modifying the characteristics of its Shaheds and changing their tactics," he said.

Ukrainian officials discussed ways to improve early detection of incoming drones and ensure their timely destruction. Syrskyi said he had set clear priorities and tasked military leaders accordingly.

Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian cities with waves of attack drones, often striking energy infrastructure and residential buildings overnight. Ukraine's defense forces use a mix of electronic warfare, air defense systems, and drone-on-drone interception to repel the assaults.

Drones have become one of the defining tools of the full-scale war, used extensively by both Ukraine and Russia for surveillance, long-range strikes, and tactical battlefield advantage. In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Earlier on June 9, Ukraine's Air Force said it intercepted 479 drones and missiles during one of the largest attacks since the start of the war. Russia launched 499 weapons overnight, including 479 Shahed-type drones and multiple ballistic and cruise missiles.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has summoned Land Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapatyi for a high-level meeting after the latter submitted his resignation following a deadly Russian missile strike that killed at least 12 Ukrainian soldiers at a training camp in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Zelensky said on June 1.

The meeting, scheduled following peace talks with a Russian delegation in Istanbul on June 2, will include top military officials: Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

"I scheduled a meeting... to sort it all out," Zelensky said in a video address. "All our combat soldiers are needed at the front — to defend Ukraine. Every one of them. And we must protect every life. All decisions necessary to ensure this will be made."

The strike hit the 239th Polygon, a Ground Forces training ground north of the city of Dnipro. Drapatyi, confirming the location and announcing his resignation, said the victims were mostly young recruits who "should have learned, lived, and fought — not died."

Drapatyi's superiors have yet to confirm whether his resignation has been accepted.

Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian training sites have intensified in recent months. The 239th Polygon was also struck by an Iskander missile in March.

The Land Forces press office said that if the investigation finds negligence or misconduct contributed to the casualties, those responsible will face strict accountability.

12 Ukrainian soldiers dead, 60 injured after Russian missile strike on training center

A statement on the attack did not identify the location of the training grounds, nor the specific type of missile used by Russia.

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 31 that Russian forces have ramped up assault operations across key fronts in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Sumy oblasts.

"(Russian troops) have notably increased activity in the Zaporizhzhia direction, where they are conducting active offensive actions," Syrskyi said following a strategic meeting assessing military operations in May.

According to Syrskyi, Ukraine's Armed Forces are inflicting substantial losses on Russian troops, claiming over 34,000 Russian personnel were killed in May alone. Ukrainian artillery, aviation, and drone systems have been targeting enemy units "even before they reach our positions," he said.

While Russia's main efforts remain concentrated on the Pokrovsk, Toretsk and Lyman fronts in Donetsk Oblast, as well as in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast bordering Russia, Zaporizhzhia has seen an uptick in escalation, Syrskyi noted.

He added that Ukrainian forces are reinforcing high-risk areas with reserves and intensifying firepower to repel attacks.

In the Sumy Oblast, Russian forces have continued cross-border raids, shelling, and attempted sabotage missions. Ukrainian officials and military analysts warn of a possible new Russian offensive targeting the region.

On May 29, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said Russia had amassed "sufficient forces" in neighboring Kursk Oblast to potentially launch an incursion into Sumy.

Syrskyi also highlighted Ukrainian cross-border operations, stating that in May, Ukraine struck 58 military targets deep inside Russian territory using long-range DeepStrike systems. These included defense industry facilities producing explosive materials and combat drones.

Fighting continues on the Kursk front, where Russia has deployed elite units initially intended for operations in eastern Ukraine.

On May 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly visited Kursk Oblast after Moscow declared on April 26 that it had completed a military operation to liberate the territory from Ukrainian incursions.

The Ukrainian military said on April 26 some of the areas were still under their control.

Ukrainian drones hit Russian cruise missile factory, SBU source says, in one of largest reported strikes of full-scale war

Dozens of Ukrainian drones were shot down by Russian air defenses as they approached Moscow, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed on May 28.

The Kyiv IndependentLucy Pakhnyuk

Ukrainian soldiers hit and destroyed in May more than 89,000 Russian targets using drones of various types, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 30.

Syrskyi did not specify which targets were hit. Throughout Russia's all-out war, Ukrainian drones have been used to target Russian vehicles, troops, as well as fortified positions.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.

Ukraine has pioneered drone technology during Russia's full-scale war, introducing various ground-, air-, and sea-based models for combat and reconnaissance missions.

According to Syrskyi, Russia is adopting Ukraine’s drone warfare tactics and expanding its use of unmanned units.

During the meeting with Ukrainian commanders, intelligence briefed Syrskyi that the Russian army had received new types of drones and ground-based robotic systems. In response, Ukraine is ramping up the number of drone crews and advancing its own unmanned capabilities, Syrskyi said.

"Each drone means a destroyed enemy, and therefore a saved life of a Ukrainian serviceman. A special emphasis is placed on the destruction of enemy UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) operators and their command centers," the commander added.

Ukraine is working to scale up domestic production. Kyiv has also developed long-range missile-drone hybrids, including the Palianytsia and Peklo models, which use turbojet engines as cruise missile alternatives.

How much does a Russian drone attack on Ukraine cost? The question is more complicated than it sounds

Beginning overnight on Saturday, May 24, Russia rained down nearly a thousand drones and missiles on villages and cities across Ukraine in three nights of large-scale aerial attacks, as civilians spent hours sheltering underground. Russia’s bombardment killed more than a dozen people and injured dozens more, in one of

The Kyiv IndependentAndrea Januta