Russia has made tactical changes to its use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by clustering them like a swarm of bees.
They start by flying at high altitudes – over 2,000 meters – and then, once over a population center, the drones rapidly descend to make them harder to intercept before striking, according to Ukrainian media.
“It’s practically impossible to shoot down a drone with regular firearms at such heights,” reports the Crimean Wind Telegram channel, close to Ukraine’s Security Service.
This strategy was employed during the massive March 20 indiscriminate aerial attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa. Eighteen explosions were recorded and powerful fires broke out in three locations during the swarm attack.
“Odesa is on fire. Russian drones are hitting civilian targets in the city, and there are casualties,” wrote Andrii Yermak, chief of Ukraine’s presidential staff.
Three civilians were injured, including minors. The Czech Republic’s President Petr Pavel was in Odesa when the Russians once again attacked the region.
The invaders specifically targeted civilian infrastructure leading to emergency power outages after the attack.
“There has been damage to civilian infrastructure, including a residential high-rise, a shopping mall, and shops,” reported Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration.
On the previous day, Russia launched an aerial attack on Kropyvnytskyi (formerly Kirovohrad) in central Ukraine, making it the largest assault on the city since the start of the full-scale war, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
A total of 14 civilians were injured, including 7 children.
“Two of the injured are in serious condition. All necessary assistance is being provided,” wrote Oleksii Kuleba, deputy prime minister for the restoration of Ukraine and minister for communities and territorial development,.
Seventy homes and 17 apartment buildings were either destroyed or damaged, and one household was almost completely leveled.
“Most of the buildings have shattered windows, torn-off doors, damaged roofs, fences, and facades,” reporters said.
These attacks came amid ongoing negotiations for a temporary ceasefire. Ukraine and the U.S. on March 11 agreed to a comprehensive month-long ceasefire in Saudi Arabia, on the condition that Russia would also adhere to it.
However, the Kremlin launched more attacks on Ukraine, including on energy facilities, just hours after the promise.
Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin once again promised U.S. President Donald Trump a ceasefire a day before the attack on Odesa. Their conversation lasted nearly two hours on March 18.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that joint pressure on Russia, along with increased sanctions and defense support for Ukraine, is the way to end such terror and Russia’s war of attrition.
“We expect real pressure on Russia from the United States, Europe, and all our partners. This is what will enable diplomacy to work,” he wrote.
Starting in the evening, Russia attacked regions of Ukraine with over two hundred strike drones and decoy drones. Guided aerial bombs were also used. Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, and Chernihiv regions came under fire.
As a result of the massive strikes by the… pic.twitter.com/0SKnWgDwMk
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 21, 2025
Cover: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
