How Ukraine's Drone Arsenal Shocked Russia and Changed Modern Warfare

[Zorro]

Kyiv’s flying machines cost as little as $400 and can neutralize sophisticated Russian equipment worth thousands of times more.

Outgunned, outmanned and outspent, Ukrainian troops have kept up the fight against invading Russian forces for more than three years. They might easily have been routed were it not for Kyiv’s mass deployment of drones.

Tens of thousands of the relatively cheap and expendable machines are now buzzing back and forth over the front lines, pinpointing Russian positions, gathering intelligence to anticipate impending assaults, colliding with enemy targets or dropping bombs on them.

By early 2025, drones were accounting for 60% to 70% of the damage and destruction caused to Russian equipment in the war, according to UK-based think tank the Royal United Services Institute. Russia’s military has developed a rival drone force and drawn upon a traditional strength in electronic warfare to upgrade its anti-drone technology. Yet Ukraine’s highly adaptable drones continue to expose gaps and vulnerabilities in Russian defenses. In early June, drones launched from trucks hit airfields as far from the front as Siberia, damaging part of Russia’s nuclear-capable long-range bomber fleet, according to Ukrainian officials.

Military commanders around the world are taking note. Taiwan is investing in mass-produced drones in anticipation of a possible conflict with China. Israel has recalibrated the Iron Dome air defense system in the war in Gaza to account for maneuverable drones — one of its biggest blind spots. European governments embarking on their largest rearmament since the Cold War have identified drones and counter-drone systems as an investment priority. The US Pentagon, which pioneered sophisticated and expensive drones sourced from big arms contractors, is looking to buy cheaper ones designed by startups and deployed en masse.

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2025-ukraine-drones-explainer/?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc0ODk2MDg1OSwiZXhwIjoxNzQ5NTY1NjU5LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJTWDlIVDNEV1gyUFMwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJDNjgyQTUwQzJCRDM0MTFCQTgwQjEwQjZEQjczQzM1MSJ9.5fjsySHwygT2YCxCadLEG1GVyDatxZ4z7F63U8BnTtM