Drones in Ukraine and beyond: Everything you need to know

The Ukrainian battlespace features the most intensive use of drones in a military conflict in history, marking a shift in warfare tactics and technology. While many see this as a new phenomenon, drones have been around for a long time – a very long time, if you go back to Chinese fire kites or the Austrian attack on Venice using exploding balloons in 1849.

The Evolution of Drone Warfare

Historical context shows that drones were used in Vietnam, in the Kosovo war, Afghanistan, Iraq, and, most recently, in the confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno Karabakh. The war in Ukraine is thus not “the first drone war”. It is neither the first war in which drones play an important role, nor the first in which both sides employ them.

Nevertheless, the use of drones in Ukraine represents a step change. Never before have so many drones been used in a military confrontation. Aerial defence systems are largely neutralising manned aviation, making unmanned systems particularly important.

Key Data and Scale of Operation

For those looking to understand their importance, here are the main takeaways from Ukraine regarding the scale and variety of hardware:

• Monthly Attrition: The Royal United Services Institute estimates that Ukraine is losing 10,000 drones per month, giving an indication of how many are in use.
• System Diversity: There are a lot of different drone systems in use in Ukraine.
• Smallest Systems: These range from the very small – such as the Black Hornet which has a wingspan of only 12 centimetres.
• Large Systems: There are also drones with wingspans of over 15 metres.

Strategic Shift

The intensity of the conflict highlights why these systems are now central to modern strategy. Never before have so many drones been used in a military confrontation, and this volume is fundamentally marking a shift in warfare tactics and technology.