Ukraine to Lean on Drones Amid Tepid Hope for US Aid

With tepid hope for peace and a potential curbing of U.S. financial support amid grinding talks, Ukraine is reportedly turning to drones on the front lines to maintain its border security during its ongoing war with Russia.

Russia's war in Ukraine has largely become a "drone war," and Ukraine is pouring its limited resources to maintain, develop, and produce the tech in lieu of more expensive shells or deploying troops, The New York Times reported Monday.

Ukraine has been homing in on an expanded drone operation since last fall and announced its bolstered plans in February, according to the report.

"The fair assessment is that it is working," Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Michael Kofman told the Times. Ukraine seeks a force that "can lock down large parts of the front" if U.S. weapon supplies dry up.

While the "line of drones" does not necessarily reduce the number of Ukrainian troops required to maintain its war footing — even unmanned drones could require up to four military staffers — it is a lot easier to recruit operators of unmanned drones than it is to find those willing to put their lives on the line at the front with Russia in the south and east, the Times reported.

Achilles Regiment Commander Yuriy Fedorenko told the Times the drone fighting program continues to expand.

"The idea is to cover the whole front line," he said.

Unmanned weapons are inflicting about 70% of all war casualties on both sides, "more than all other weapons combined, including tanks, howitzers, mortars, and land mines," the Times reported, citing Ukrainian military.

Ukraine's four drone regiments will expand from 700 soldiers to 2,500, according to the report.

While it requires assets in manpower, the unmanned drones do make Ukraine's warfighting operation cheaper, as "drones cost $500 to $750 each, less than large-caliber artillery shells, which cost about $3,000," according to the Times.

The modern warfare is becoming a blueprint for others in the world, including the U.S., which has featured the Marine Corps forming its first experimental attack drone squad operated remotely.