Drones have become a key tool on the battlefield in Ukraine, both for defense and offense. According to The Sun on Sunday , Western officials estimate that drones have become the primary means of destruction, replacing traditional artillery.
Analysts note that 70–80% of all casualties among Ukrainian and Russian military personnel are caused by drones. Eight out of ten wounded or killed soldiers are victims of remote attacks carried out by operators who can be located dozens of kilometers from the front line.
Ukraine suffers at least 100 attacks by enemy drones every day — an average of one attack every 15 minutes. Russian kamikaze drones are cheap but effective — they can hover in the air, waiting for a command to destroy a target.
Former British military intelligence officer Phil Ingram stressed that the figures recorded in Ukraine indicate a radical change in the nature of warfare. “Drones will play a central role in all future military campaigns,” the expert said.
The Ukrainian military has already adapted to the new conditions - drones have become not only weapons, but also eyes on the battlefield. According to the commander of the Achilles regiment, Yuriy Fedorenko, over 65% of enemy targets are detected and destroyed by unmanned systems.
In response to this efficiency, Ukrainian drone operators have become the enemy’s number one target. “If they spot an operator, everything comes at us,” said Sergeant Major Vasyl, one of the UAV pilots.
Ukraine has also developed innovative “drone viruses” — so-called “Trojan horses” that can infect not only equipment but also penetrate enemy systems, revealing the location of Russian operators.
Meanwhile, Russia continues to improve its weapons: from January to March of this year alone, more than 10,500 glide bombs were released, many of which are modified “dumb” munitions converted into precision weapons. Of particular concern is the development of a new bomb, the “Drel”, based on banned cluster elements.
