Ukraine’s Soldiers Earn Battle Points to Buy Weapons in Military Amazon Store as Russia Opens Drone Factory in Occupied Donetsk

Ukraine has turned combat into currency. More than 400 military units now shop for their own weapons using points earned in battle, not just for kills but also for rescues and reconnaissance missions [181578]. The military’s online marketplace carries more than 800 Ukrainian-made systems, allowing troops to choose their own gear [181578]. The system works like Amazon: soldiers earn points, then browse and order equipment [181578]. It is a new way to speed up supply and reward frontline performance [181578].

Meanwhile, a new robotics center has opened at a university in the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, Ukraine [181567]. Ukrainian monitors say the facility is part of a pipeline to supply the Russian military with drones [181567]. The center copies the model of the Alabuga factory in Russia, according to a Ukrainian monitoring group [181567]. At Alabuga, students assemble the drones that Russia fires at Ukrainian cities [181567]. The new center in Donetsk is expected to perform the same role, training local students to build unmanned aerial vehicles for the war effort [181567].