Mike Baker

So while the overall trend may be shifting, the fight remains highly uneven depending on the front.

Still, there are signs this shift is beginning to have broader operational effects.

Ukraine's security service says its strikes have destroyed at least $4 billion worth of Russian air defense systems over the past year, including S-300 and S-400 systems, helping degrade Russia's layered defenses and open corridors for long-range drone operations deeper inside Russian territory.

That aligns with separate reporting from ABC News, which found that in March, Ukraine launched more long-range attack drones than Russia for the first time since 2022.

Another indicator that Kyiv's expanding domestic drone production is starting to reshape the balance.

And there's additional data that underscores just how dominant their drones have become on the battlefield.

Ukrainian President Zelensky said recently that in March alone, drones accounted for roughly 96% of Russian casualties, with nearly 34,000 troops killed or wounded by drone strikes.

Taken together, the data points to a clear trajectory for Ukrainian forces as the war grinds into its fifth year.

After spending much of the war playing catch-up in the drone space, Ukraine now appears to be gaining an edge in scale, lethality, and innovation.

And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Thursday, the 9th of April.

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I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin.

Until then, stay informed, stay safe.

Stay cool.

It's Wednesday, the 8th of April.

Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin.

I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage.