By Max Hunder KHARKIV REGION, Ukraine, April 29 (Reuters) - In a foggy field in northeast Ukraine, four soldiers stare at red and yellow dots on a screen in the back of a van, armed with interceptor drones and energy drinks to get through the night.

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin to scale back Victory Day parade amid military equipment shortages - Russia was mocked by Ukraine in 2024 for displaying a lone tank in Red Square

Ukraine’s defense minister says the country's armed forces shot down more than 33,000 Russian drones of various types in March, a record monthly figure since Moscow launched its all-out invasion more than four years ago.

The recent capture of a Russian position using ground robots is a milestone for the use of machines in warfare.

Soldiers are training for drone-on-drone combat using Bumblebee drones, which have been used in Ukraine and are being sent to U.S. training centers in the Middle East.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has leveraged Ukraine's expertise in drone warfare into a series of successful diplomatic deals during visits to the Middle East and Europe, showcasing how Kyiv is using military prowess to boost its diplomatic clout.

The Kremlin's most intense attack of the year, including a drone slamming into a Kyiv residential building, comes as Ukraine fears the Iran war is leaving it short of critical air defense munitions.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on April 27, 2026, that Poland will build a national "drone armada" drawing on Ukrainian battlefield expertise, with financing pooled from European and Polish sources.

Ukraine is battling Russia's Shahed drones with its own interceptor drones. These Ukrainian drones are low-cost and designed to destroy the more expensive Russian weapons. Ukraine aims to neutralize 95% of incoming drones.

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.

Ukraine and Russia have battled to stay ahead of one another in a fiercely contested drone race that includes ground robots.