Russia has an “enormous edge” in drone warfare, outnumbering Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) seven-to-one, the Eurasian Times news outlet has reported.
While Moscow successfully boosted drone production and plans to build more than 32,000 UAVs a year by 2030, domestic companies are projected to account for 70% of the market. The government allocated $7.66 billion to fund drone production, a stark figure when compared to Kiev's grassroots funding efforts for the same ends.
The Eurasian Times offered some examples of cutting-edge military drones deployed by Russia on the battlefield, including the Lancet loitering munition – a drone named for its surgically precise and deadly strikes.
Earlier the Financial Times cited the omnipresence of Russian drones on the battlefield as one of the key reasons why over-hyped Ukraine's counteroffensive failed last year. According to the outlet, Russian UAVs “spotted and destroyed within minutes” Ukrainian tanks or armored vehicles, as well as guiding artillery strikes.