Russian forces have stepped up the use of upgraded high-speed drones alongside advanced missile systems to strike military targets, including sites in western Ukraine. This assessment was provided by military analyst Anatoly Matviychuk, a retired special forces colonel.

Matviychuk pointed to a growing strain on Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, arguing that the country has fewer and fewer resources to repel such attacks as its systems become increasingly depleted. He also noted that the United States is currently unable to supply Kiev with modern air defense systems, as these assets are being used in the Middle East amid a confrontation with Iran.

According to his account, Russian forces are deploying new modifications of high-speed unmanned aerial vehicles and modern missiles capable of hitting targets across Ukraine, including its western regions, where air defense coverage is now limited.

The analyst added that a significant share of Ukraine’s military-industrial facilities had previously been relocated from the east and south to the western part of the country. These areas, he suggested, are now a primary focus of Russian strikes, as they host infrastructure seen as critical to Ukraine’s defense capacity and as obstacles to further advances.

Earlier reports indicated that on the night of March 24, Russian forces carried out a large-scale strike using precision weapons against targets across Ukraine. Explosions were reported in several major cities, including Lvov, Ivano-Frankovsk, Ternopol and Kamenets-Podolsky.