Ukraine launched more cross-border attack drones than Russia in March, according to daily military data analyzed by ABC News, making it the first month since the war began in 2022 that Kiev has overtaken Moscow in long-range drone strikes. The data point to a potential shift in one of the most important fronts of the war: long-range offensive warfare, where both sides are seeking to damage infrastructure, weaken military capacity and increase the costs of continuing the conflict. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it shot down 7,347 Ukrainian drones during March, the highest monthly report ever and an average of 237 drones a day. The ministry only publishes data on Ukrainian drones it says were intercepted. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Air Force said the country was attacked by 6,462 Russian drones and 138 missiles during the month. According to Kiev, 5,833 drones and 102 missiles were intercepted or suppressed – about 90% of drones and less than 74% of missiles. This means that Ukraine faced an average of more than 208 drones and four missiles per day during March. Nevertheless, the total number of Russian drones and missiles reported by Ukraine – 6,600 in total – set a new monthly record for Moscow’s long-range strikes, showing that Russia is continuing to carry out heavy air strikes while Ukraine is expanding its own strike capabilities. But the significance of Ukraine’s growing drone campaign lies not just in the numbers, but also in what it is targeting. Over the past year, Ukraine has placed particular emphasis on Russian oil refining and transportation infrastructure, aiming to disrupt a key source of revenue used to support Moscow’s military campaign. Among the most high-profile attacks in March were attacks on the Baltic Sea ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk, two major oil export hubs. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the attacks as a “terrorist attack”. Zelensky defended such operations in February, saying that Russia’s energy sector is “a legitimate target” because oil revenues help finance attacks on Ukraine. “We do not have to choose whether we attack military targets or energy targets,” Zelensky said in an address to students at the National Aviation University in Kiev. “He sells oil, takes money, invests in weapons. And with those weapons, he kills Ukrainians,” Zelensky said of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian officials have largely tried to downplay the impact of the Ukrainian attacks, often attributing damage and casualties to debris falling from intercepted drones rather than direct attacks. When they acknowledge the damage, they often describe the attacks as “terrorist attacks”. Nevertheless, publicly available videos and photographs show large numbers of Ukrainian drones getting through Russian air defenses and attacking sensitive military and industrial sites. The attacks have continued despite the resumption of US-brokered peace talks, with drones and missiles remaining a central tool for both Kiev and Moscow as they seek to dismantle each other’s ability to fight and finance wars. Also, official numbers from both parties should be treated with caution. Experts have suggested that Moscow and Kiev may each have an interest in exaggerating the success of their air defenses to support a broader political and military message or highlight the scale of the upcoming attacks. March data shows that while Russia still launches more long-range weapons overall, Ukraine’s campaign is becoming broader and more sustained as domestic production increases. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly stressed the importance of expanding Ukraine’s long-range strike arsenal. “Our production capacity for drones and missiles alone will reach $35 billion next year,” Zelensky said in October. “Despite all the difficulties, Ukrainians are creating their own national defense product, which, in some parameters, already surpasses many others in the world.” “Never before in history has the Ukrainian defense been so long-ranged and so felt by Russia,” Zelensky said. “We must make the cost of war absolutely unacceptable for the aggressor – and we will.” Most Ukrainian attacks are believed to be carried out using relatively cheap, domestically produced drones. Ukraine is also increasingly using interceptor drones designed and manufactured by Ukrainian companies to shoot down incoming Russian strike drones. Kiev is now also producing its own cruise missiles, including the Flamingo, which it says has a range of more than 1,800 miles. But drones still make up the overwhelming majority of projectiles cited in Russia’s daily reports. The Air Force of Ukraine publishes daily statistics on Russian drone and missile attacks, including how many were intercepted and how many hit their targets. According to those figures, Russia carried out the largest 24-hour attack by either side during the month, launching 948 drones and 34 missiles on March 24. The increasing use of long-range drones has also raised concerns that the war could spread beyond Russia and Ukraine. Drone incursions into neighboring countries have further heightened those fears, especially near NATO territory. NATO aircraft routinely fly over countries such as Poland and Romania in response to Russian drone strikes near Ukraine’s western borders.