Director of the Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the Higher School of Economics, Vasily Kashin, says that in 2025 Russian forces increased the pace of their advance in the special military operation zone and strengthened their technological edge over the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

He noted that the Russian army has both stepped up its offensive and expanded its technical superiority to the point where it is now almost comprehensive, including in the drone domain. Kashin linked these results to a key change on the battlefield — the mass deployment of fibre-optic-guided drones, which has extended the effective range of Russian UAVs.

According to him, the role of carrier drones delivering smaller UAVs, as well as interceptor drones, has also grown in the special operation zone. Kashin pointed out that even the Ukrainian side acknowledges that Russia has been able to ramp up the production and use of drones significantly faster than Ukraine.

He added that Russian aviation has continued to strengthen its support for ground units. The range of guided aerial bombs has expanded and, as he stressed, these munitions have become one of the key tools enabling the advance of the Russian Armed Forces.

Taken together, these factors have improved the tactical position of Russian troops at the front. Kashin said that new assault and offensive tactics are being developed, with additional solutions constantly tested. As an example, he mentioned the use of motorcycles to cross areas under heavy fire, while noting that it is still unclear how widely this approach will be adopted in the future.