Ukraine claims one in three Russian soldiers now killed by its drones

A year after transforming wedding cameras into weapons, Ukraine’s drone forces say they are now responsible for one out of every three Russian casualties on the battlefield. The unit, known as the Drone Army, marked its first anniversary this week with a stark assessment: drones have become the deadliest tool in Ukraine’s arsenal. The claim, made by a senior Ukrainian military official, underscores how low-cost, remotely piloted aircraft have reshaped modern warfare. Initially cobbled together from commercial parts and civilian equipment, the drones now fly thousands of sorties each month, dropping grenades and guiding artillery fire. The official did not provide independent verification of the casualty figure, but Western analysts note that drone strikes have visibly increased in frequency and precision since 2023. The milestone comes as Europe continues to purchase Russian liquefied natural gas—a fuel it could legally stop importing. Despite sanctions on coal and oil, LNG from Russia still flows into European ports, funding Moscow’s war budget. Ukraine’s drone corps says its next target is not just Russian troops, but the energy infrastructure that fuels the invasion.