“This is modern war, David” says Dima. “The war online.”'(Wojciech Grzedzinski/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
![](https://unherd.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/David-Patrikarakos-100x100.jpg)
Down in a bunker a little way back from the Ukraine frontline, I am watching a staple of modern warfare: a drone attack in real time.
The command centre is a small room with three TV monitors, two of which are divided into four screens. All are showing drone footage from different parts of the front’s 20 kilometres of trenches. Four men sit in front of the screens. Two men sit off at the side — one on a laptop, one manning a two-way radio. In the centre of the room stands Bereza, the Brigade commander, barking voicenotes into his phone.
Two of the screens go black and a message pops up: “Your livestream will play again as soon as it’s available. Get Ready!” I’m told it happens all the time. The screens cut in and out for all manner of unpredictable reasons. But, then, the image reappears and we are looking at a forest. A Russian tank is on the move — changing direction and wheeling around. The men inside this room are trying to destroy it. Their constant banter — about girls and weapons — doesn’t seem to affect the focus with which they pursue the tank. One man shouts into the radio; Bereza growls into his phone. A screen goes black again. “Your livestream will play again as soon as it’s available. Get Ready!”
A screen flashes with light. Then billowing smoke. The men whoop and cheer. I have just seen a successful strike. Dima grins. The atmosphere is electric but also strangely banal. The exclusively male cohort, the puerile jokes, the screens, the repeated invocation to “Get Ready!”. It’s like they are all playing a video game.
“This is modern war, David” says Dima. “The war online.”
In some respects, 21st-century warfare began the first time a US MQ-1 Predator UAV (that’s an unmanned Aerial Vehicle) drone flew over the Taliban’s positions to photograph the scene below. The Americans realised drones could be used for more than snooping. They could be modified for combat, armed with missiles and other incendiary devices. China, Iran and Turkey joined the arms race, and now they flood the market with their own cheap and effective drones.
For any state fighting without the wealth of the United States and China (which is everyone else), what is cheap and effective is also necessary. Out in Ukraine, the skies throng with Chinese-made DJI Mavics, Iranian Shaheds, Russian Orlan-10s and Turkish Bayraktar TB2s. Drones may not have the same payload or firepower as a fighter jet, but then again you can’t buy a fighter jet on the internet. For the price of one F-35, you can buy 55,000 DJI Mavic 3s. For less established militaries, drones offer the chance of levelling the field to at least some degree.
Join the discussion
Join like minded readers that support our journalism by becoming a paid subscriber
To join the discussion in the comments, become a paid subscriber.
Join like minded readers that support our journalism, read unlimited articles and enjoy other subscriber-only benefits.
Subscribe“Ukraine is losing around 10,000 drones per day to Russian electronic warfare.”
I think that should be 10,000 drones per month…
“Ukraine is losing around 10,000 drones per day to Russian electronic warfare.”
I think that should be 10,000 drones per month…
This war really needs to cease – nothing will be gained and a lot is at risk. All parties are bad, including the western governments. Russia is a gangster state, Ukraine is unbelievably corrupt and being sold to the highest bidder under the cover of war. Another battle for resources and we were the prime mover.
Agreed. And the one missing piece of vital information in this fascinating piece is when the Ukrainian military will be implementing DEI protocols. Who cares about how they survive on the front line? We should be more interested in how they are working on equity and inclusion, because we all know that diversity is the key to success in the trenches!
Imagine being SO stupid that you don’t even realize your being used as cannon fodder all on the promise of free coca cola for life.
Imagine being SO stupid that you don’t even realize your being used as cannon fodder all on the promise of free coca cola for life.
There is only one country here attacking another one trying to topple its government and that is Russia.
The West has been working to turn Ukraine into a Western proxy since MI6 and the CIA sponsored Bandera and Lebed and the OUN-B against the USSR following WW2.
You can find a 2014 clip of Nuland telling listeners how the US alone invested $5B in “building democratic institutions” there; ie, buying agents and fostering extreme ethnonationalists (like Svoboda, Pravyi Sektor and Karas’ C14) since the country’s independence in 1991.
Stratfor described (boasted) the 2014 Maidan revolution as the “most blatant coup in history”.
Check out RAND corporation’s 2019 “Extending Russia” document for recommendations to turn Ukraine into Afghanistan 2.0 for the Russians.
This war was foreseen decades ago by George Kennan and John Mearsheimer (and plenty of others) if the West attempted to incorporate Ukraine into NATO.
Ukrainians are being used as cannon fodder in the Western elites’ unending quest for dominance (and sales of military equipment).
How many tens of billions of dollars has this conflict made for the MIC so far? What a great investment. If you’re a psychopath.
When it dawns on enough Ukrainians how they’ve been used, there will be hell to pay.
Obviously, the vast majority of US businesses, which are not in defence, are but puppets in the hands of the MIC and Hunter Biden.
Simple minded idiocy explains all complex phenomena!
Or rather is the only explanation simple minded people can comprehend…
When it dawn’s on them. Well all the stupid ones are in the army. And all the clever ones are American.shills..
Watch a YouTube channel Pavlo from Ukraine. And ask what is really going on in Ukraine.
Obviously, the vast majority of US businesses, which are not in defence, are but puppets in the hands of the MIC and Hunter Biden.
Simple minded idiocy explains all complex phenomena!
Or rather is the only explanation simple minded people can comprehend…
When it dawn’s on them. Well all the stupid ones are in the army. And all the clever ones are American.shills..
Watch a YouTube channel Pavlo from Ukraine. And ask what is really going on in Ukraine.
Oh My God. If Putin wins he’ll send his troops marching all across Europe to get to us in the British isles. Like he couldn’t just.send some troops across the North Sea in a leaky boat,have them land on Scarborough Beach.and take Whitby and we wouldn’t know or care because the BBC would be telljng us luverley lascivious stories about the latest family friendly presenter.
The West has been working to turn Ukraine into a Western proxy since MI6 and the CIA sponsored Bandera and Lebed and the OUN-B against the USSR following WW2.
You can find a 2014 clip of Nuland telling listeners how the US alone invested $5B in “building democratic institutions” there; ie, buying agents and fostering extreme ethnonationalists (like Svoboda, Pravyi Sektor and Karas’ C14) since the country’s independence in 1991.
Stratfor described (boasted) the 2014 Maidan revolution as the “most blatant coup in history”.
Check out RAND corporation’s 2019 “Extending Russia” document for recommendations to turn Ukraine into Afghanistan 2.0 for the Russians.
This war was foreseen decades ago by George Kennan and John Mearsheimer (and plenty of others) if the West attempted to incorporate Ukraine into NATO.
Ukrainians are being used as cannon fodder in the Western elites’ unending quest for dominance (and sales of military equipment).
How many tens of billions of dollars has this conflict made for the MIC so far? What a great investment. If you’re a psychopath.
When it dawns on enough Ukrainians how they’ve been used, there will be hell to pay.
Oh My God. If Putin wins he’ll send his troops marching all across Europe to get to us in the British isles. Like he couldn’t just.send some troops across the North Sea in a leaky boat,have them land on Scarborough Beach.and take Whitby and we wouldn’t know or care because the BBC would be telljng us luverley lascivious stories about the latest family friendly presenter.
Russia is the prime mover, to think otherwise it bizarre. USA had to be mugged by reality before it started backing Ukraine at scale, following only after Poland & UK already started sending everything they could.
Yes,it was really handy. Charity shop rearmament. We had to pay good money to warehouse all that antiquated tech and no longer supported software. So we sent all that useless crap to Ukraine and Zelensky was delighted until he got wise to it. Now he’s really pissed because he’s onto our game. All those cluster bombs Sleepy Joe is sending,the old ones that don’t work.
Yes,it was really handy. Charity shop rearmament. We had to pay good money to warehouse all that antiquated tech and no longer supported software. So we sent all that useless crap to Ukraine and Zelensky was delighted until he got wise to it. Now he’s really pissed because he’s onto our game. All those cluster bombs Sleepy Joe is sending,the old ones that don’t work.
Won’t cease until Russia is exhausted and in turmoil. Crimean War, Japanese War, 1905, WW1, Afghanistan. Nearly all Russian wars end with regime change.
They can only win as part of a grand coalition.
Otherwise, too incompetent to accomplish anything.
It’s like the Flashman novel in real life. The Great Game. Who knew we have time traveled back to the 19th.centuty.
It’s like the Flashman novel in real life. The Great Game. Who knew we have time traveled back to the 19th.centuty.
It’s too profitable to end it.
Agreed. And the one missing piece of vital information in this fascinating piece is when the Ukrainian military will be implementing DEI protocols. Who cares about how they survive on the front line? We should be more interested in how they are working on equity and inclusion, because we all know that diversity is the key to success in the trenches!
There is only one country here attacking another one trying to topple its government and that is Russia.
Russia is the prime mover, to think otherwise it bizarre. USA had to be mugged by reality before it started backing Ukraine at scale, following only after Poland & UK already started sending everything they could.
Won’t cease until Russia is exhausted and in turmoil. Crimean War, Japanese War, 1905, WW1, Afghanistan. Nearly all Russian wars end with regime change.
They can only win as part of a grand coalition.
Otherwise, too incompetent to accomplish anything.
It’s too profitable to end it.
This war really needs to cease – nothing will be gained and a lot is at risk. All parties are bad, including the western governments. Russia is a gangster state, Ukraine is unbelievably corrupt and being sold to the highest bidder under the cover of war. Another battle for resources and we were the prime mover.
The one missing piece of vital information in this fascinating piece is when the Ukrainian military will be implementing DEI protocols. Who cares about how they survive on the front line? We should be more interested in how they are working on equity and inclusion, because we all know that diversity is the key to success in the trenches!
Interesting that both Israel and the US now, after experience, having to rethink the infantry role for women. Compensation medical claims from women after a spell in the infantry. OK, there may be exceptions but the Brit army really needs to rethink this one.
Don’t they all get preggers.
Don’t they all get preggers.
Interesting that both Israel and the US now, after experience, having to rethink the infantry role for women. Compensation medical claims from women after a spell in the infantry. OK, there may be exceptions but the Brit army really needs to rethink this one.
The one missing piece of vital information in this fascinating piece is when the Ukrainian military will be implementing DEI protocols. Who cares about how they survive on the front line? We should be more interested in how they are working on equity and inclusion, because we all know that diversity is the key to success in the trenches!
Scary for soldiers as I’d hate to have to worry about drones following me around and filming my death. Fascinating in how war is changing. Reminds me of WW1 were new tech and old tactics led to the initial stalemate. All this new tech but still soldiers fighting in trenches.
I think it might be more significant than that.
Both Russia and NATO don’t have the industrial capacity to decisively increase advanced arms in the field. Neither side is doing much innovation with drones, using them as they would traditional aircraft.
This has parallels with the late 18th century Ottoman Empire. It did have access to modern weapons, but their numbers were limited by its feeble industrial capacity. It could never contemplate military strategies integrating lots of advanced weaponry, so its military strategies also stagnated in a world of rapid technological change. The Ottoman Empire ultimately got sidelined by history.
Asia is supplying the electronic equipment needed by both NATO and Russia for this modern warfare. Only Asia has the industrial capacity to decisively increase the deployment of advanced arms in the field. Probably only Iran and China can build swarms of drones, and therefore develop fighting strategies using swarms. Meanwhile NATO (and presumably Russia) has almost all of its modern weapons and even traditional ordnance on decade-long back order.
Since various anti-air cannon and machine guns have been downing nearly all Iranian drones, they are at best of marginal significance.
Only Russia’s expensive cruise missiles need to be shot down by Patriots.
Aw,less kill Russians,less tear em limb from limb. We luvs ter.kill Russians.
Aw,less kill Russians,less tear em limb from limb. We luvs ter.kill Russians.
Since various anti-air cannon and machine guns have been downing nearly all Iranian drones, they are at best of marginal significance.
Only Russia’s expensive cruise missiles need to be shot down by Patriots.
We should all say No. Russian soldiers. Ukranian ones. What’d happen if the UK government introduced conscription.
I think it might be more significant than that.
Both Russia and NATO don’t have the industrial capacity to decisively increase advanced arms in the field. Neither side is doing much innovation with drones, using them as they would traditional aircraft.
This has parallels with the late 18th century Ottoman Empire. It did have access to modern weapons, but their numbers were limited by its feeble industrial capacity. It could never contemplate military strategies integrating lots of advanced weaponry, so its military strategies also stagnated in a world of rapid technological change. The Ottoman Empire ultimately got sidelined by history.
Asia is supplying the electronic equipment needed by both NATO and Russia for this modern warfare. Only Asia has the industrial capacity to decisively increase the deployment of advanced arms in the field. Probably only Iran and China can build swarms of drones, and therefore develop fighting strategies using swarms. Meanwhile NATO (and presumably Russia) has almost all of its modern weapons and even traditional ordnance on decade-long back order.
We should all say No. Russian soldiers. Ukranian ones. What’d happen if the UK government introduced conscription.
Scary for soldiers as I’d hate to have to worry about drones following me around and filming my death. Fascinating in how war is changing. Reminds me of WW1 were new tech and old tactics led to the initial stalemate. All this new tech but still soldiers fighting in trenches.
We have lots of drones on commuter trains coming in from Kent and Surrey, glued to the lap tops, office securitypasses round their necks, all clad in combustible poly draylon… perhaps they could cunningly be deployed to bore an enemy to death or suicide as they droned on about ITor insurance?
By God, they scare me!
By God, they scare me!
We have lots of drones on commuter trains coming in from Kent and Surrey, glued to the lap tops, office securitypasses round their necks, all clad in combustible poly draylon… perhaps they could cunningly be deployed to bore an enemy to death or suicide as they droned on about ITor insurance?
As if they were playing a video game. Chilling.
As if they were playing a video game. Chilling.
Putin’s draft turns out to have been a bad mistake. Many of those who fled the country were IT specialists, who might have aided in the production of drones and development of drone doctrine.
Nearly all the “mobiks” drafted since then have been people from low-tech parts of the country.
Indeed, the leaders of the Donbas republics admit that almost no military age men remain who are either in the army, fled or casualties. That’s now seems to be Russia’s future.
Ironically, it seems that, actually, Donbas annexed Russia, not the other way around.
Martin, It’s not hard to find videos of Russian drones destroying all kinds of Ukrainian/NATO hardware
The Russians seem to have more/better drones
Both sides have drones. The Russian survey drones are likely as cheap as Ukraine. Russians have much better jamming kit in general The Russians use strike drones more than Ukraine. Unclear if there are skill differences. Hopefully the US is watching carefully.
At the start of the war, we were told the Switchblade was going to decimate the Russians, it turned out to be no better than the Leopards and Bradleys/Strikers
For the true believers its all about the F-16 now, they really believe it will make all the difference
No, the cluster bombs will change it, if anything does. Virtually an infinite number.
Poor mobiks!
The weapons Diana got “banned” just before she died. ….. I say,she intervened in the industrial-military complex then she died….but the driver was pissed,and accidents happen
The weapons Diana got “banned” just before she died. ….. I say,she intervened in the industrial-military complex then she died….but the driver was pissed,and accidents happen
No, the cluster bombs will change it, if anything does. Virtually an infinite number.
Poor mobiks!
At the start of the war, we were told the Switchblade was going to decimate the Russians, it turned out to be no better than the Leopards and Bradleys/Strikers
For the true believers its all about the F-16 now, they really believe it will make all the difference
“Seem” is meaningless in the fog of any war.
Both sides have drones. The Russian survey drones are likely as cheap as Ukraine. Russians have much better jamming kit in general The Russians use strike drones more than Ukraine. Unclear if there are skill differences. Hopefully the US is watching carefully.
“Seem” is meaningless in the fog of any war.
Nurse cones in:….. “Martin Dear it’s time for your anti-dementia meds and your Horlicks…..”
Nurse walks out and turns out the lights.
Fact based repostes are always the best!
Thanks!
Fact based repostes are always the best!
Thanks!
Almost half of Ukraine’s population have left the country since the Maidan coup in 2014 (and many of those millions fled to Russia after the Ukrainians started shelling the rebel areas and discriminating against Russian-speakers – so those “Ukrainians” are available as human resources to Russia).
Whereas (I believe) maybe a million Russians have left Russia since this war kicked off early last year.
The Ukrainians thus face far greater human resources challenges than the Russians. Ukraine will be receiving more technical help from the rest of the world, true, but there’s no question that China are in Russia’s corner.
Interesting… take…on the real situation:
A quarter (not a half) of Ukraine’s population is displaced, many of whom are INTERNALLY DISPLACED. Legally , males of draft age can’t leave the country.
Ukraine is fully mobilized, from a population as large as France in WW1.
Whereas Putin dare not mobilize.
So who’s gonna win?
But keep trying!
But they are all so stupid they aim it at themselves. It’s war.as done by Fred Karnos Army. They’ve even got a Clown as a leader.
Interesting… take…on the real situation:
A quarter (not a half) of Ukraine’s population is displaced, many of whom are INTERNALLY DISPLACED. Legally , males of draft age can’t leave the country.
Ukraine is fully mobilized, from a population as large as France in WW1.
Whereas Putin dare not mobilize.
So who’s gonna win?
But keep trying!
But they are all so stupid they aim it at themselves. It’s war.as done by Fred Karnos Army. They’ve even got a Clown as a leader.
What happened to “over by Xmas” 2022. The people of Donbas voted to be Russian. But that was a democratic vote and thus Unamerican.
Martin, It’s not hard to find videos of Russian drones destroying all kinds of Ukrainian/NATO hardware
The Russians seem to have more/better drones
Nurse cones in:….. “Martin Dear it’s time for your anti-dementia meds and your Horlicks…..”
Nurse walks out and turns out the lights.
Almost half of Ukraine’s population have left the country since the Maidan coup in 2014 (and many of those millions fled to Russia after the Ukrainians started shelling the rebel areas and discriminating against Russian-speakers – so those “Ukrainians” are available as human resources to Russia).
Whereas (I believe) maybe a million Russians have left Russia since this war kicked off early last year.
The Ukrainians thus face far greater human resources challenges than the Russians. Ukraine will be receiving more technical help from the rest of the world, true, but there’s no question that China are in Russia’s corner.
What happened to “over by Xmas” 2022. The people of Donbas voted to be Russian. But that was a democratic vote and thus Unamerican.
Putin’s draft turns out to have been a bad mistake. Many of those who fled the country were IT specialists, who might have aided in the production of drones and development of drone doctrine.
Nearly all the “mobiks” drafted since then have been people from low-tech parts of the country.
Indeed, the leaders of the Donbas republics admit that almost no military age men remain who are either in the army, fled or casualties. That’s now seems to be Russia’s future.
Ironically, it seems that, actually, Donbas annexed Russia, not the other way around.
I’m still no wiser about how the rules of engagement are being changed. Could it be that someone at Unherd doesn’t know what rules of engagement are?
I’m still no wiser about how the rules of engagement are being changed. Could it be that someone at Unherd doesn’t know what rules of engagement are?
.
.
Hateful vile bastards. Those ukranians. I hope Putin whups the lot of em.
Hateful vile bastards. Those ukranians. I hope Putin whups the lot of em.
Looks like the cluster bombs will be the deciding factor. Plenty of them in the West, and not much poor mobile can do against them. Even now Storm Z units suffer 70% casualties in their counter attacks.
Girkin/Strelkov claims any number of Russian ldrs are planning to oust Putin and end the war.
Not that any Russian (not in the trenches) cares, of course.
Looks like the cluster bombs will be the deciding factor. Plenty of them in the West, and not much poor mobile can do against them. Even now Storm Z units suffer 70% casualties in their counter attacks.
Girkin/Strelkov claims any number of Russian ldrs are planning to oust Putin and end the war.
Not that any Russian (not in the trenches) cares, of course.