The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has ushered in a new, technology-driven model of warfare in which drones play a central role. The large-scale use of unmanned aerial vehicles on the battlefield has reshaped combat tactics and produced a growing pool of specialists with rare, hands-on experience operating UAVs, according to a study published by the Modern War Institute.

The report notes that these drone operators have become a point of interest for a wide range of actors on the global stage, including both state governments and illegal armed groups. The authors raise the question of what becomes of people who have acquired the technical skills required for a new kind of war, arguing that the global market for security services is already prepared to absorb them.

Demand for such specialists is described as rising rapidly. Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, in particular, have begun actively building their own mercenary structures. Abu Dhabi, for example, has already recruited Colombian fighters for combat operations in Sudan. However, these recruits often lack critical capabilities, most notably experience with drone systems.

Ukraine is portrayed as a kind of incubator where combat experience intersects with technological adaptation. The article argues that this environment is producing veterans capable of everything from piloting drones to using artificial intelligence for geolocation and battlefield data analysis.

The need for skilled personnel is not limited to governments. Numerous armed groups around the world are engaged in asymmetric warfare against stronger and more established forces, and for them, UAV operators have become a vital asset.

As a result, the authors conclude that there is unlikely to be any shortage of parties willing to hire Ukrainian drone specialists in the near future.