Unmanned aerial systems, or drones, are an instrumental part of the fighting in Ukraine.

Both combatants are relying on drones to achieve their goals on and off the battlefield. Russia, in particular, is using thousands of suicide drones every month.

Suicide Drones in Decline

“Russia launched approximately 1,700 One Way Attack Uncrewed Aerial Systems (OWA UAS) of varying types into Ukraine in the month of December 2024, a decrease from November’s total of 2,300,” the British Military Intelligence assessed in its latest estimate of the war.

Unmanned aerial systems are playing a central role in the fighting. Indeed, as we have analyzed before here at The National Interest, the conflict in Ukraine is the first war where drones are playing such a large part in both combatants’ operations.

“It is likely that weather factors impacted operations early in the month, possibly evidenced through several nights of waves greater than 100 OWA UAS that followed periods of particularly low or no activity,” the British Military Intelligence added about the decrease in the activity of Russian suicide drones in the last month of 2024.

OWA UAS are essentially suicide drones. Their goal is to find enemy troops and heavy weapon systems and destroy them. Not every suicide drone is the same. Some are military grade, and others are commercial drones that you can buy online with some munitions attached.

“The Ukrainian Air Force reported that 53% of Russian OWA UAS were shot down, while the remainder were disrupted using electronic warfare or had already flown off course without causing a significant threat,” the British Military Intelligence added.

“Various factors can impact the monthly launch rates positively or negatively, however it remains likely that Russia can sustain numbers in excess of at least 1,500 per month,” the British Military Intelligence concluded.

Suicide drones have allowed Russia to maintain a long-range threat and pressure on Ukraine. A combination of international sanctions (led by the United States) and a chronic inability of the Russian defense and aerospace industry to produce advanced weapon systems and munitions in reliably large quantities has left the Russian military with a limited stock of ballistic and cruise missiles. Suicide drones have filled that gap and have allowed the Russian military to launch attacks against Ukrainian urban centers and critical infrastructure. These attacks are tying down key air defense systems that Ukraine could push closer to the frontlines in an attempt to wrestle air superiority over the battlefield.

The War of the Drone

Although unmanned aerial systems have been around for a while—the U.S. Intelligence Community and military pioneered their use back in the 1990s—it wasn’t until the large-scale invasion of Russia on February 24, 2022, that drones started to play such a key role in the tactics, operations, and strategy of the warring parties.

Today, thousands of drones of all sizes and capabilities are buzzing around the battlefield in search of the other side. These unmanned aerial systems are conducting a wide range of missions, including direct attack, artillery support, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), special operations, and even psychological warfare.

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from Johns Hopkins University and an MA from Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

Image: paparazzza / Shutterstock.com