Strike drones cause nearly 80% of personnel and equipment losses, showing that previous defenses are overwhelmed by their scale and precision

Former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valeriy Zaluzhnyi wrote about this in a column for Dzerkalo Tyzhnia. 

He noted that, as of today, strike drones account for nearly 80% of personnel and equipment losses. This shows that previous defense measures — such as fortifications, armored vehicles, and even personal body armor — are being neutralized by the scale, lethality, and precision of modern drones.

The former commander said that “it also calls into question current approaches to training: human qualities alone cannot match the reaction speed or accuracy of an AI-powered robotic system.”

“While Russia leans on technology and keeps throwing ever more people at our positions—imposing that attritional tactic on us—we need a different path: a reliable means of deterring the lethal power of these new weapons,” Zaluzhnyi emphasized.

• Zaluzhnyi also commented on the Kursk operation for the first time, noting that an isolated breakthrough in a narrow area does not bring the attacking side the desired success.

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