Trends in the Combat Employment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Modern Armed Conflicts: Lessons From the Russia-Ukraine Special Military Operation

The Russia–Ukraine war of 2022–2026 has demonstrated that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become an important component of modern armed conflicts. UAVs are being employed for a wide range of missions, including reconnaissance, surveillance, target detection and identification, artillery support, tactical strikes, long-range strikes, and exerting pressure on air defence systems. At the same time, the development of electronic warfare, electronic intelligence, low-cost counter-drone systems, and artificial intelligence technologies is accelerating the ongoing competition between UAV capabilities and countermeasures. NATO is also conducting a dedicated study of the Ukrainian experience, considering the impact of UAVs on modern warfare as an important area of lessons learned.