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What does Ukraine’s million-drone army mean for the future of war?

In 2024, Ukraine will have more drones than soldiers in its armed forces, and the aerial vehicles and the artificial intelligences that can control them are changing the way war is waged

By David Hambling

19 January 2024

30 DJI Matrice 300 RTK drones purchased for the armed forces of Ukraine — A batch of DJI Matrice 300 RTK drones, part of Ukraine’s “Army of Drones” project
Evgen Kotenko/Ukrinform/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has promised that in 2024 the country’s military will have a million drones. His nation already deploys hundreds of thousands of small drones, but this is a major change – a transition to a military with more drones than soldiers. What does that mean for the future of war?

This technology has already transformed the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. “At this point in Ukraine, anything that moves – a soldier or…

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