Ukraine has exposed the limits of drone warfare

As Ukraine prepares for an expected offensive in the spring or summer, key weapons from western countries are bolstering the country’s armed forces. Among the war machines that are expected to make a major impact on the battlefield are Leopard Tanks and other armoured vehicles from the West. What isn’t getting many headlines today are drones for Ukraine. This is a major contrast from the early days of the war, when Ukrainian drones were heroes of the war effort. On the Russian side the reliance on Iranian-made kamikaze drones has also appeared to have diminishing returns for Moscow. The Ukraine war now illustrates the limits of a future dominated by drones on the battlefield. 

Several years ago, the defeat of Armenian forces by Azerbaijan in clashes in the south Caucasus led to a discussion about whether unmanned aerial vehicles with missiles, or acting as kamikaze-style drones, would put an end to the role of large, expensive lumbering tanks on the battlefield.