Kyiv's Drones Prioritize Targeting Russian Troops To "Exhaust Human Resources"

Ukraine's drone forces are increasingly prioritizing the targeting of Russian troops rather than equipment, because their data-driven management systems are reporting that this is a more efficient means of exhausting Russian resources and thus, the Kremlin's war effort. 

This analytical approach to managing the war is one of the reasons why Ukraine has held off the much larger Russian military and is now widely believed to have stalled them, perhaps permanently. JL

Olena Goncharova reports in the Kyiv Independent:

Kyiv increasingly focuses on targeting Russian personnel rather than equipment. Ukrainian forces deliberately prioritize enemy personnel in at least 30% of strikes, aiming to strain Russia’s ability to sustain its war effort, comparing the strategy to exhausting a resource over time. The drone campaign relies on a complex operational system combining surveillance, electronic warfare, and strike capabilities. Every mission is recorded and analyzed, allowing units to adapt tactics in real time. "The best drone is an ecosystem. For one pilot to make a kill, a whole machine must work behind him, increasing efficiency."

Ukraine Ends Foreign Troop Training: "They Now Have More To Learn From Us"

When the Russian invasion began, Ukraine's military, steeped in Soviet military doctrine, had fallen far behind other countries and needed all the help and training it could get. The Ukrainians acknowledge that training in the UK, France, Germany and elsewhere helped them become more professional, successful in battle - and saved lives. 

But four years later, Ukraine possesses what is arguably the most experienced and advanced military in the world. There is more they can teach the Europeans, Americans and others than those countries can teach them. As a result, Ukraine will no longer send troops to be trained outside the country, except, perhaps for learning donated complex new weapons systems. JL 

Yevhen Dykyi reports in New Voice of Ukraine:

At the beginning of the war, there was much we needed to learn, from medical practices to battlefield communications and command systems. Our frontline practices were outdated, and Western partners significantly helped improve them during the first year of the war. Over time, there has been less that they can teach us and more that we can teach them. Entire brigades were sent to NATO countries and back. Frankly, this is a luxury, one that does not justify itself. (And) there was a temptation to avoid returning to war, to remain in a well-fed, peaceful Europe, where refugee status is guaranteed. That only a handful from each unit gave in to this temptation speaks to their resilience. (But), this happened and created reputational losses for us. It is logical this (training) has been reconsidered.

Putin Hiding As Attacks On Iran Leaders Fuel His Assassination Paranoia

The killings of Iran's top leaders have reportedly sparked Putin's and his security forces' fears that the instruments of repression they have used to control the Russian population - and that they shared with Iran - were hacked by the US and Israel, leading to the Iranians' deaths. 

As a result, the Kremlin has shut down internet services across a broad swath of Russia and Putin's whereabouts are unknown as he fears Ukraine could do the same to him. JL

Will Stewart and Ayeesha Walsh report in The Daily Express (US):

Vladimir Putin has dramatically escalated security following concerns that vulnerabilities in his protective network mirror those that preceded the assassination of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Reports indicate paranoia has gripped the Russian dictator's security establishment over worries his extensive electronic surveillance infrastructure contains weaknesses that could allow adversaries to track his whereabouts and enable an assassination attempt. This heightened anxiety is driving a shutdown of mobile internet across Moscow and other parts of Russia. Moscow and Tehran employed comparable surveillance and facial recognition systems. "Hacking and surveillance infrastructure to monitor citizens (can) help destroy heads of state. Nobody knows where Putin really is." 

In Two Separate Days Last Week, Ukraine Inflicted Record Casualties On Russians

The Russians launched their spring counteroffensive last week - and were slaughtered. One side is playing chess and the other is playing checkers. 

The Russian command thought that drizzle and fog would mask their troop movements. Which they might have - in 1944. Ukrainian ground sensors and recon drones with thermal sights quickly identified the threats and eliminated them. Which is why on two separate days in one week, record numbers of Russians were killed and wounded - and while the Russians gained no ground. Welcome to the 21st Century, comrades. JL

Phillips O'Brien reports in his substack:

The Ukrainians inflicted 10,000 casualties on the Russians in the past week, including the two highest days of casualties in the war. On March 17 Ukraine inflicted 1710 casualties - a record - and then March 21 inflicted 1760, breaking that record. "Invisibility (caused by drizzle and fog) under old military canons was supposed to work but (no longer do). The enemy attacked using infantry, motorcycles, armored vehicles and horses across a dozen sectors. More than 500 of them were lost. Drones caused 50% of Russian losses during the week. Unmanned systems, electronic warfare, sensor transparency, precision fires, and rapid adaptation cycles have altered how combat power is generated. By systematically targeting the Russians through the coordinated use of drones and artillery, Ukraine halted, then reversed Russia’s offensive while minimizing troops at point of contact.

As OpenAI Imposes Ads On Free Users, Initial Buys "Can't Prove Measurable Results"

To absolutely no one's surprise, OpenAI is about to impose advertisements on free users of ChatGPT. The move is seen as a means of defraying the company's mind-boggling expenses while also paving the way for a more sophisticated ad strategy to come. 

There is massive interest in the potential for advertising on AI. The problem, so far, according to advertisers and agencies that have participated in tests, is that OpenAI is not providing any measurable data to prove the ads' impact, let alone that it will work at all (though that seems assured). The question is whether this is because OpenAI is trying to fine tune its service before rolling it out or, as has become endemic for the AI industry, they just don't want to share any data or information as their business and legal posture has been that everyone's data belongs to AI for free. That is unlikely to stimulate advertiser participation, so some sort of alternative is to be expected. JL

Steven Desaulniers and Julia Boorstin report in CNBC, Barry Schwartz reports in Search Engine Roundtable and Reuters reports:

OpenAI will show ads to all U.S. users of ChatGPT’s free ‌and Go versions. (But) the (financial) commitments required to participate in initial tests are unusually high for this type of experiment. (And) so far, the test is moving too slowly to meet the hype. OpenAI’s is frustrating many partners because of the conservative rollout. Executives at agencies working with early ChatGPT advertisers said they haven’t been able to prove the ads have driven any measurable business outcomes for their clients. "OpenAI hasn’t yet offered marketers any automated way to buy ad space. Buyers have had to rely on phone calls and sending spreadsheets and emails to OpenAI representatives. More importantly, advertisers found it hard to tell whether the ads were paying off." The opportunity remains massive: the number of ads halfway through March increased 600% from the first of the month.

Russia Deemed Unlikely To Take Ukraine's Donbas Fortress Belt This Year, If Ever

Ever since Ukraine surprised Russian forces in late January with probing attacks that became a counteroffensive as Russian weaknesses became more apparent, predictions about the Kremlin's ability to realize its plans for 2026 have become more pessimistic. 

Now, the highly respected and frequently definitive Institute for the Study of War has revealed in its latest analysis that Russia's goal of taking Ukraine's 'Fortress Belt' cities in western Donbas is unlikely this year due to the weakened state of the Russian military and the comparatively strong Ukrainian showing thus far. Taking the Fortress Belt has been a Kremlin goal for several years because it holds the key to the rest of Ukraine. The Russians have been unable to take it so far - not for lack of trying - but the emerging question is whether that goal is permanently out of reach militarily. JL  

The Institute for the Study of War reports:

Russian forces are unlikely to seize Ukraine's Donbas Fortress Belt in 2026. The Russian Western Grouping of Forces, including the 20th CAA and 1st GTA, lack the strength to seize Lyman as they have diverted significant forces to counter Ukrainian counterattacks that liberated most of Kupyansk. Ukrainian countermeasures will further complicate Russian advances, such as intensively targeting Russian multiple launch rocket systems in the Slovyansk and Kostyantynivka sectors to disrupt Russian artillery, degrading Russia's offensive and defensive capabilities. Ukrainian forces will continue to impose high costs on the Russian spring-summer offensive as they degrade Russia’s capabilities, particularly in the Slovyansk direction.

'Horrific' Losses And Ukraine Advances Force Kremlin From Offense To Defense

Ukraine's counteroffensive may have altered the strategic balance for the fighting this year, if not for the entire war. 

Russia has suffered such 'horrific' casualties in attempting to fend off Ukrainian advances, that it has been forced to redeploy its units preparing for a spring offensive and has also been compelled to commit reserves intended for assaults to defensive duties. This has had a destabilizing effect on the Russian military posture in the war this year and has sapped the Kremlin's plan of much of its intended punch before it even began JL

Mick Ryan reports in Futura Doctrina:

The Russian military now faces competing dilemmas. Ukraine has inflicted 4,840 casualties on the Russians over a three-day period, one of the highest daily casualty rates for the Russians since the start of the invasion in 2022. Ukrainian advances in the Oleksandrivka direction threaten the rear of Russian 5th Combined Arms Army pushing west from Hulyaipole, compelling them to shift from offensive to defensive posture. Elements of Russia’s operational reserve have been committed to defend against Ukrainian counterattacks. This is a good indicator that Russian forces are burning through reserves earmarked for the spring offensive.