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Comment by dash2 | Hacker News Reader

A worrying sidelight here: the idea that Russia is faster at scaling up this new kind of warfare than Ukraine (and therefore, Ukraine's Western allies). Tech is moving fast, and the final form of drone warfare has not yet been seen. Countries which are slow to innovate will be at a grave disadvantage.

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Doesn't really worry me. Drone warfare gives the cost-advantage to the party that doesn't rely as much on heavy equipment, expensive air-defence and massed artillery. And Russian military doctrine doesn't change very quickly; they're fighting the war in Ukraine in much the same way they fought WWII (smash up everything with artillery, and then try to roll in with tanks).

The russian drone attacks are less publicized, but they are numerous. Also while Ukraine uses mostly domestic drones converted to drop grenades, russia uses purpose built ones. Like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZALA_Lancet. And the bigger iranian made Shahed drones.

The Russian drones are expensive; hugely more expensive than the Ukrainian ones. And ISW says the Ukrainians are shooting down most of the drones Russia sends over (and vice-versa, of course).

Granted: what ISW says is probably based on what Ukraine says.

And granted: if you dont shoot down every kamikazi drone in a swarm, then the swarm succeeded (or could have succeeded).

https://lostarmour.info/ - site dedicated to collect, filter and analyze data about "Losses of military equipment in local conflicts of the XXI century" (citation)

It's in Russian but should be readable with translation

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