Four years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, cheap drones costing just hundreds of dollars have revolutionized warfare by making traditional tank battles nearly impossible. Ukrainian soldiers report that drone casualties have skyrocketed from under 10% in 2022 to 80% last year, forcing military tactics to completely change.
KHARKIV REGION, Ukraine – A Ukrainian tank commander recalls when armored warfare in the early days of Russia’s invasion resembled heavyweight fighters exchanging blows. Now, four years after the conflict began, Senior Sergeant Valentyn Bohdanov says those direct confrontations have become virtually extinct.
Compact yet lethal “first-person-view” drones have transformed Ukraine’s war zones, making movement extremely dangerous for armored units, according to Bohdanov of Ukraine’s 127th Separate Heavy Mechanised Kharkiv Brigade.
“They won’t enter an open field: they’ll be peppered by FPV drones and stronger ones,” the 36-year-old soldier, known by his call sign “Bodia,” explained.
Today, his T-72 tank – seized from Russian forces – sits concealed under camouflage netting in the snowy northeastern Kharkiv region, functioning essentially as stationary artillery rather than mobile armor.
Since joining the fight during Moscow’s February 2022 assault, Bohdanov has witnessed conventional warfare strategies completely overturned as advancing technology forces both armies to recalculate their battlefield approaches.
Countless precision drones, many priced at just a few hundred dollars each, patrol daily across an expanding “kill zone” spanning the 1,200-kilometer front line. These are accompanied by increasingly sophisticated drones with extended range capabilities and larger explosive payloads.
The constant aerial threat makes nearly all movement – whether troop changes, medical evacuations, or armored attacks – exponentially more dangerous.
According to a recent French Institute of International Relations study, drone-caused casualties surged from under 10% of total losses in 2022 to as high as 80% in the previous year, as much of the conflict evolved into an “air battle of mutual denial.”
The research characterized this transformation as part of “a new logic of warfare defined by speed of innovation, rapid adaptation, and seamless technological integration” that will incorporate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
Mobile anti-drone squads, similar to one Reuters observed near the contested eastern city of Kostiantynivka, have become standard operations.
These teams patrol highways covered with anti-drone mesh and scattered with burned vehicle wreckage, maintaining constant vigilance for aircraft ranging from small FPVs to massive long-range Shaheds. Their mission involves protecting supply lines essential for forces along front sections where Russian troops are gaining ground.
A drone-hunter known as “Marine” from the 93rd Mechanised Brigade described witnessing 54 drones targeting a single objective within 60 minutes.
“Three would circle, another would attack while the others join,” he recalled. “They’re in the air like that all the time, not letting anyone get away.”
Numerous soldiers who’ve experienced direct drone attacks describe feeling overwhelmed by FPV speed and maneuverability. Video footage of these strikes now floods social media platforms on both sides.
From a military hospital in northeastern Kharkiv, Andriy Meskov described returning from a mission when he and two colleagues faced drone attacks that pursued them while seeking shelter.
“We ran into a building, not really expecting that it would follow us,” said the 42-year-old, who operates drones for the 151st Separate Reconnaissance-Strike Battalion.
“The speed of a human being doesn’t compare to the speed of an FPV drone, so I didn’t even have time to pick up my rifle to shoot at it.”
Meskov suffered a shattered knee when a drone bounced off his helmet before detonating near his leg.
He was ultimately rescued using an unmanned ground vehicle. Such robotic systems are increasingly utilized for missions including supply delivery and casualty evacuation to reduce human losses.
These ground robots completed over 7,000 operations in January alone, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced recently. Ukraine intends to increase their manufacturing and acquisition this year, he added.
Extended evacuation periods represent another potentially deadly result of the widening “kill zone.” Colonel Viacheslav Kurinnyi, 45, head physician at the Kharkiv hospital treating Meskov, reported that drone threats to vehicles have extended average medical evacuation times beyond three days.
This contradicts the established “golden hour” principle of battlefield medicine, he noted, referencing the crucial 60-minute period when immediate treatment can save a wounded soldier’s life.
Ukraine’s Western partners must understand these realities, Kurinnyi emphasized: “Any countries that are preparing for war at home need to realise that there will be no ‘golden hour.’ Maybe a ‘golden day’ if they’re lucky.”
His facility once treated a wounded soldier who had worn a tourniquet for over two months.
Standing beside his snow-covered tank, Commander Bohdanov believes such equipment is becoming obsolete and should be reduced in favor of extended-range artillery. His team remains willing to retrain for greater effectiveness, he noted.
Although tanks continue serving in urban combat or adverse weather, armor-led offensives have largely given way to small infantry operations, according to military expert Rob Lee from the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
However, dismissing tanks entirely may be premature. The rapid pace of technological change suggests tactics could shift again soon, Lee observed.
“Right now, the current role is diminished, and I think we’re waiting for the next technological breakthrough that will enable manoeuvring again,” he concluded.