121 Combat Clashes Reported Amid Surge in Drone Usage

What Happened

On March 7, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported increased combat activity, noting 121 clashes with Russian troops. The conflict included three missile strikes and 86 air strikes, with 33 missiles deployed and 254 guided aerial bombs dropped.

Russian forces utilized 9,837 kamikaze drones and conducted 3,514 shellings, which included 49 from multiple launch rocket systems. These statistics indicate a marked increase in the intensity of hostilities across various regions.

Key Details

Russian air strikes targeted Pysantsi, Kolomyitsi, and Pokrovske, disrupting local defense operations. In Northern Slobozhanshchyna and Kursk, there were 139 shellings, four of which involved MLRS.

Three air strikes were also recorded, using eight guided aerial bombs. Ground assaults on Ukrainian defenses were concentrated in the Southern Slobozhanshchyna sector, where five attacks sought to breach defensive positions at Hrafske and Vovchansk.

Background

In the Kupiansk sector, Russian forces launched four attacks in Pishchane and Kurylivka, while the Lyman sector experienced six assaults. Despite these challenges, Ukrainian forces successfully repelled 12 Russian advancement attempts in the Sloviansk sector.

In the Kramatorsk sector, counter-responses from Ukrainian troops thwarted Russian movements towards Minkivka. The Kostiantynivka sector reported 15 attacks near key locations, while 20 aggressor assaults were blocked in the Pokrovsk sector. The situation remained stable in the Orikhiv sector and other regions like Prydniprovske, Volyn, and Polissia.

Ukrinform has reported that Russian combat losses have reached approximately 1,273,290 soldiers since February 24, 2022, by March 8, 2026. This figure highlights the profound human cost of the ongoing conflict for both sides.