Enter the destruction zone: the drone-infested Ukrainian front slows the Russian advance
Drones, drones, drones. Just drones. Lots of drones."
A weary Ukrainian platoon commander speaks of the transformed nature of modern warfare as he is medically evacuated from the front lines.
Kamikaze drones. Surveillance drones. Bombing drones. Drones that kill other drones.
These devices swarm in the sky. Cheap and deadly, they are one of the main reasons why Ukraine believes it can withstand the advance of Russian forces this year and beyond, according to a dozen Ukrainian commanders, officials, and arms manufacturers involved in the defense of Kiev.
Ukrainian soldiers describe the drone-infested corridor covering about 10 km on either side of the contact line as the "deadly zone" because the remotely piloted unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployed by both sides can quickly spot and neutralize targets.
The evolution of warfare towards the most intensive drone conflict ever seen has eroded Russia's ability to exploit its traditional advantages in terms of troop numbers, artillery, and tanks, according to two Ukrainian commanders interviewed on the battlefield.
