March 18, 2026. Another settlement has changed hands in eastern Ukraine. Aleksandrovka in the Donetsk People's Republic was liberated by Russian forces. Territorial gains continue, proof that the attrition we track daily translates into ground taken.

But today's briefing contains something new, something that signals an evolution in how Russia is targeting Ukrainian capabilities. Two battalions of Ukrainian unmanned systems troops are engaged in the Western sector. A UAV brigade, committed to ground combat in the Center sector. And in the Dnepr sector, an unmanned surface vehicle was destroyed.

For weeks, we've tracked drone attrition, hundreds shot down daily. But today, Russia is killing the operators, not just the equipment. That's a different kind of warfare, and it has different consequences.

I'm your host, and this is *Frontline Updates*. Today, we're joined by Colonel A.C. Oguntoye, an infantry officer with extensive experience in combined arms operations. Colonel, welcome back.

Today's briefing reveals that Russia has recognized a fundamental truth: destroying drones is good, but killing the people who fly them is better. Those operators take months to train. They're not replaceable overnight.

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