When you think of war, what do you think of? Maybe, massive fast-paced tank battles, or slow slogs over a few miles of territory? Well, as Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine progresses, these ideas of how war works are becoming increasingly outdated.
As you may already know, Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine began in late February of 2022, when then and current Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “Special Military Operation” in Ukraine to support the Russian-aligned breakaway states of Luhansk and Donetsk, and to rid the Ukrainian Government of what Russia falsely believed were Neo-Nazis who had infiltrated Ukraine. Russia then launched a massive offensive into Ukraine, capturing some areas in eastern Ukraine, but being stopped in several key places, including Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.
Ukraine’s success in halting Russia’s advance further into Ukraine is linked to it’s fierce determination to stop the advance, and is certainly heavily aided by western support, giving Ukraine antitank weapons such as the Javelin, a now iconic guided missile that can often destroy tanks in one shot, making one of Russia’s advantages over Ukraine, its sheer size and number of forces, partially negated.
But as the war has continued, both sides have innovated, creating better weapons to help them, and both Russia and Ukraine have realized the usefulness of drones. Drones are useful for a number of reasons, but some of the main ones include how cheap they are, often costing under $1000, the fact that they are incredibly versatile, with uses ranging from reconnaissance and scouting to eliminating enemy troops and destroying tanks.
As an example of their usefulness, take for example a mission where you had to destroy a tank. You could use a Javelin Missile, but those are incredibly expensive and hard to find, and you may not want to use one. Now compare it to a drone. The drone is far cheaper, costing under $1000, much easier to find, as they are a widespread consumer technology, and it’s much easier and safer to use one, because you don’t have to expose yourself except to launch the drone.
Their usefulness extends beyond just destroying enemy targets as well. They can also be used to scout targets for artillery, making it more precise and saving shells, another all-important item for Ukraine. And, as you don’t need to expose yourself to enemy fire, saving lives.
Overall, drones have the potential to completely change warfare as we know it, by saving lives and money, and keeping soldiers out of harm’s way. Nations like the United States and China have much to learn from how the War in Ukraine is progressing, and much to win or lose, depending on how they act.
RELATED STORIES:
https://www.reuters.com/graphics/UKRAINE-CRISIS/DRONES/dwpkeyjwkpm/
https://www.cfr.org/article/how-drone-war-ukraine-transforming-conflict
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cne4vl9gy2wo
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