The aggressor country of russia has scaled up the production of UAVs, as well as introduced new technologies and tactics for using drones. This has allowed it to catch up with Ukraine, which initially had an advantage in drone warfare.
This is according to the American publication The New York Times.
Three years ago, when the russian army first used Iranian strike drones, 43 UAVs were launched in Ukraine in one strike. Earlier this month, the occupiers used more than 800 drones of various types.
Such a sharp increase is the result of a huge increase in the production of strike drones in russia, which have become a priority for the russian army. Moscow has also achieved a significant increase in the production of tactical drones, involving regional governments, factories and even schoolchildren in this work.
The scaling up of UAV production, combined with new technologies and tactics, has created a formidable challenge for Ukraine, which had an advantage in drone warfare at the start of the war.
Ukraine has also made significant strides in the past three years, including in launching strikes deep into russian territory. However, russian strikes are more extensive and sophisticated. This is forcing Ukrainians to adapt their tactics to defend against UAV attacks.
Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the publication that the war has reached another turning point in the use of drones. Kofman emphasized the significant difference between the small drones that russia uses on the front lines to advance troops and the strike drones for bombing.
"Despite all the damage done, from what we know about attempts to win the war with bombing, they are unlikely to be successful in themselves. This is not a blitzkrieg, and the blitzkrieg strategy failed for Germany either," Kofman said.
According to Kofman, on the front lines, russia has narrowed the gap with Ukraine through the massive use of fiber-optic FPV drones and the creation of elite units of UAV operators. This is an extremely alarming signal for Kyiv.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in July, the American television channel CNN reported that the russians are significantly expanding the factory where the Shahed drones are produced.
In early July, the commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert "Magyar" Brody, warned that in the future the russians will launch 1,000 Shahed drones every day.
Earlier, the British publication Sky News published an article stating that Ukraine risks losing the drone arms race without the help of partners.
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