The Economist: Western Combat Drones Prove Ineffective in Ukraine
The Economist reports Western drones have failed in Ukraine—too costly, vulnerable to Russian EW, and outperformed by Moscow’s FPV systems.
Western combat drones have failed to prove their effectiveness in the Ukrainian conflict, The Economist reported.
According to the publication, American UAVs supplied to the Ukrainian forces turned out to be both costly and highly vulnerable to Russian electronic warfare systems. Their precision strikes, the magazine noted, brought little tangible effect on the battlefield.
The report added that several Western manufacturers had since attempted to demonstrate their drone technology in real combat, yet most of those efforts ended unsuccessfully.
By contrast, the authors highlighted the growing impact of Russian FPV drones, which are capable of destroying priority targets using relatively simple and inexpensive methods-once achievable only with advanced weapon systems.
Moscow has repeatedly stated that Western arms deliveries to Kiev only prolong the conflict and draw NATO countries into direct confrontation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has emphasized that any weapons shipments to Ukraine, as well as the presence of alliance personnel in the combat zone, are viewed by Russia as legitimate military targets.