More than 80% of enemy targets are currently destroyed by drones, the overwhelming majority of which are domestically produced. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this during the presentation of the “E-Points” initiative for assessing the effectiveness of drone units.
The Head of State thanked Ukrainian warriors for the effective defense of Ukraine, the destruction of enemy targets, the verification of results, and the prompt and reliable information from the battlefield.
“Today, artillery matters, but in a different way. Personnel, and above all our infantry, carry out fundamental tasks. But war itself is undergoing an evolution, and everything is becoming extremely dependent on another important element as well – on who is the fastest and the strongest in applying technologies, in adapting technologies, and in truthful verification of what is happening on the battlefield,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Last year alone, drones struck nearly 820,000 targets. Each of these strikes is recorded, which helps not only with hit verification but also with the operation of the bonus-based system for assessing military performance. Units can exchange electronic points for drones, electronic warfare systems, other equipment, and gear on the Brave1 Market marketplace.
“We also have points awarded for each hit, as you know firsthand. Our bonus-based electronic points system is working to scale up the results of our defense. In December, our units achieved a result of 35,000 neutralized occupiers. Thank you for this result,” the Head of State noted.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also emphasized that it is important to continue developing protection against Russian “shaheds” and other enemy drones, and that the number of successful interceptions must increase significantly.
For successful and effective military service, the President honored servicemembers of unmanned systems units with state awards. Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the Order of the Golden Star to Heroes of Ukraine Oleh Huit and Yurii Fedorenko.
Lieutenant Colonel Oleh Huit, commander of the 427th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade “Raroh,” took part in the Anti-Terrorist Operation and, following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, defended the Luhansk region. In the summer of 2022, he purchased the first drones and organized their use within a platoon. At the beginning of 2023, he established a separate strike drone company, which has since been transformed into the 427th Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment. Its warriors took part in battles for Bakhmut, Avdiivka, New York, and Chasiv Yar. Over the past nine months, approximately 12,000 targets have been struck under Oleh Huit’s command.
Major Yurii Fedorenko, commander of the 429th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade “Achilles,” took part in the Anti-Terrorist Operation and, since 2022, in the defense of Kyiv, as well as in battles in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions. He was the first among commanders of Ukraine’s Defense Forces units to organize the systemic use of UAVs for aerial reconnaissance and for providing fire adjustment for artillery and other strike assets. Since June 2025, the unit under Yurii Fedorenko’s command has struck more than 30,000 enemy targets.
The Head of State also awarded servicemembers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine, and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine with the Order of Merit, III class; the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III class; the Order “For Courage,” II and III classes; and the award “Personalized Firearm.”
