As drone warfare becomes an increasingly important part of modern combat, Ukraine has taken it one step further by introducing a unique points-based system with elements commonly associated with video games. Through its Army of Drones Bonus program, frontline units are earning points for verified battlefield achievements.
Every Russian soldier killed or wounded and every weapon or vehicle destroyed, earns unit points. Those points can then be spent at a government-run online marketplace on new drones, which are then used to target more Russian forces. Points are awarded only after each submission is verified through at least two videos.
“The program’s philosophy is simple: the more you destroy, the more you receive,” Andrii Hrytseniuk, CEO of Brave1, the government agency that developed the initiative, told The Wall Street Journal.
Ukrainian drones took out more than 35,200 Russian troops last month, officials said. Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov added that it was the fifth straight month that Moscow’s losses had exceeded the number of new recruits.
Russia’s mass-assault tactics contribute to the toll, especially during the autumn and winter months when troops have less natural cover. Ukraine has also doubled the points awarded for killing or seriously wounding soldiers. The target and points list is updated regularly and now includes snipers and small air-defence units, such as mobile fire crews. Drone pilots are valued at twice as many points as infantrymen.
“This shift was dictated by the battlefield itself. Russian forces began pulling their equipment as far as possible away from the line of contact because it was being destroyed very quickly by our drones. Instead, they increasingly relied on infiltration tactics and the use of small infantry groups,” Hrytseniuk added.
Ukraine has become a leading force in this new form of drone warfare. It aims to leverage technological advances and operational insights to secure military support and long-term security guarantees from other countries.
