The Drone War: How Ukraine and Russia Are Redefining Modern Warfare

Drones and the Future of Global Warfare


The Growing Importance of Drones in Modern Warfare: Ukraine-Russia Conflict

Following a large-scale drone attack by Ukraine on Russian targets, the global significance of drones in warfare has dramatically increased. Both Ukraine and Russia are utilizing a mix of purpose-built military drones and commercially available drones to support their military strategies.

Military Drones Used by Ukraine and Russia

Ukraine's primary military drone is the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2
This drone is about the size of a small aircraft, equipped with high-resolution cameras, and can be armed with laser-guided bombs. According to Jack Watling from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a UK-based defense think tank, Ukraine started the war with fewer than 50 Bayraktar TB2 drones.

On the other hand, Russia is using a simpler model known as the Orlan-10. Russia began the war with several thousand of these drones, but due to the intensity of the conflict, it’s believed that only a few hundred remain operational today.

How Effective Are Military Drones?

Drones have proven to be highly effective in locating enemy positions and guiding artillery fire. Watling states that once a target is identified using the Orlan-10, Russian forces can strike within three to five minutes. Without the drone’s assistance, such a strike could take 20 to 30 minutes.

In the past, identifying enemy locations required sending in special forces, which involved significant human risk. Now, drones reduce this risk considerably, as the threat is limited to the loss of equipment rather than human lives.

In the early weeks of the war, Ukraine's Bayraktar drones received widespread praise. However, many of these drones have since been shot down by Russian air defenses. Watling explains that these drones are relatively large, slow, and fly at medium altitudes, making them easy targets for modern air defense systems.

Commercial Drones in the War

Military drones like the Bayraktar TB2 are expensive, with a single unit costing nearly $2 million. Due to this, both sides—especially Ukraine—are increasingly turning to commercial drones like the DJI Mavic 3 which costs around $2,000.

A Ukrainian drone manufacturer estimates that the country’s armed forces operate around 6,000 drones, although this figure is difficult to verify.

Commercial drones can be modified to carry small bombs and are primarily used for direct attacks on enemy troops and vehicles. Since Ukraine lacks the same level of ammunition as Russia, using drones for target identification helps them use their existing artillery more efficiently.

However, commercial drones are much less capable than military-grade ones. For instance, the DJI Mavic has a range of just 30 kilometers and can fly for only 46 minutes. Cheaper models have even more limited capabilities.

Counter-Drone Defenses

Russia has developed a multi-layered defense system to counter both military and commercial drones. These include radar systems and electronic warfare equipment designed to jam drone communications.

One such weapon is the Stupor rifle which emits electromagnetic pulses that interfere with GPS navigation, effectively disabling commercial drones.

Russia also employs online systems like Aeroscope which can detect the communication link between commercial drones and their operators. These systems can either neutralize drones mid-flight or force them to return to their base. They can also prevent drones from transmitting surveillance data.

Russian reports suggest that the average Ukrainian drone lasts barely a week in combat before being lost or destroyed.

Drone Suppliers and Foreign Support

According to the White House, Iran has been supplying Russia with Shahed military drones which were previously used by Houthi rebels in Yemen to strike targets in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

From 2022 to 2023, the United States provided Ukraine with more than 700 "Switchblade" kamikaze drones. These drones are equipped with explosives and can loiter in the air until they find a target to destroy.

Communication and Logistics

SpaceX owned by Elon Musk, has supplied Ukraine with its Starlink satellite communication system. This system provides a secure link between commercial drone operators and their drones, improving battlefield coordination and control.

Meanwhile, DJI the Chinese drone manufacturer, has suspended drone sales to both Russia and Ukraine.

In a recent move to expand their drone fleet, Ukraine has appealed for crowdfunding to purchase 200 new military drones.


Written by Hashim khan