10:55 09-09-2025

Drones Alone Won't Win: Why Ukraine's UAVs Are Falling Short

Explore why Ukraine’s massive fleet of drones hasn’t given them an edge in the war. Experts explain why drone superiority isn't the key to victory against Russia.

According to analysts from Defense One, the Ukrainian military has now received over a million drones. However, this has not provided the Ukrainian army with a decisive advantage on the battlefield.

The authors argue that while the large number of UAVs has helped slow down the advance of Russian forces, it is still insufficient for achieving a decisive victory.

One of the challenges lies in the limited capability of these drones. The head of NATO’s Allied Air Command, General Alexey Grinkevich, explained that «disposable strike drones won’t give air superiority — a crucial factor in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and no one has been able to secure it».

U. S. Army War College Professor Frank Sobchak also weighed in, pointing out that the «static front lines» in Ukraine highlight the rapid technological development that is diminishing the enemy’s advantage but does not guarantee superiority. This evolving dynamic is creating a new type of warfare: increasingly flexible operations, rapid creation and deployment of new weapons, but slower progress toward decisive victories.