Ukraine’s defence minister says the country’s forces shot down a record 33,000 Russian drones of various types in March, marking the highest monthly figure since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began over four years ago.

It comes as Ukraine’s domestically developed long-range attack drones struck a Russian oil refinery and terminal on the Black Sea for the third time in less than two weeks, prompting local evacuations as a precautionary measure.

Kyiv has developed advanced, battle-tested drone technology, which has proven crucial in resisting Russia’s larger military and has attracted international military interest. Ukrainian officials report that interceptor drones, as part of a comprehensive air defence system, are now being sought by Middle Eastern and Gulf countries for protection amid the war in Iran.

Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on Telegram that Ukraine is increasing its supply of interceptor drones to counter Russian aerial attacks. The military has also established a new command within the air force to bolster the nation’s capabilities.

Ukraine’s offensive capabilities have also seen significant improvement. The Defence Ministry stated on Tuesday that the range of its deep-strike operations has more than doubled since the February 2022 invasion.

Initially, Ukrainian forces could hit targets approximately 630 kilometres away; they are now capable of striking targets up to 1,750 kilometres behind enemy lines, according to a ministry statement. This enhanced range has enabled Ukraine to target Russian oil installations, which are vital for Moscow’s war revenue, and manufacturing plants supplying its armed forces.

The latest strike on the Tuapse oil refinery at the Black Sea port was a coordinated operation involving multiple branches of Ukraine’s defence and security services, the Unmanned Systems Forces confirmed on Tuesday. Earlier strikes this month reportedly destroyed 24 oil storage tanks and damaged four others. Independent verification of these claims was not possible.

Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev confirmed that residents near the Tuapse refinery were being evacuated Tuesday, though he provided no further details on numbers or duration.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry reported Tuesday that its air defences intercepted 186 Ukrainian drones overnight across Russian regions, annexed Crimea, and the Black and Azov seas. In the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated that a drone attack killed three people and wounded three others.

Conversely, Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian drone attacks killed three civilians and injured five others. Two people died in the city of Chuhuiv in the northeastern Kharkiv region, according to regional military administration head Oleh Syniehubov.

A 40-year-old man was killed and five others sustained injuries in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Another Russian attack on Konotop, in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, resulted in power and water supply outages for the city.