How Ukraine's drone warfare is reshaping the battlefield and pushing Russia onto the defensive
By
Nick Paton Walsh, Natalie Wright, Daria Makarina-Tarasova, Victoria Butenko
Sesame, salt, and substance. A flagship bake.
Summary
The article reports on how Ukraine's early and mass-industrialized adoption of drone warfare is reshaping the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian commanders, veterans of brutal urban battles like Avdiivka and Bakhmut, now direct precision drone strikes from underground bunkers miles away, eliminating the need for troops on the ground. This technological shift is forcing Russian forces onto the defensive, as Ukraine's drone capabilities have become a defining factor in the war.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThere is a whirr, a flurry of dust, a pause as the grainy image recalibrates, and then a devastating blast.
An entire mission directing six blasts against three Russian frontline targets in eastern Ukraine will involve no Ukrainian troops on the ground, the battle instead directed from underground bunkers.
Ukraine's early embrace of drones, and the mass-industrialization of their accuracy and power, has begun to exact a defining toll on Russia.
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