According to Forbes magazine, Ukraine has overtaken Russia in military drone and electronic warfare technology, losing its advantage 30 months after the full-scale invasion.
Russia made effective use of drones and electronic warfare to disrupt Ukrainian communications and secure target positions during its illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Russia had a lead in these technologies at the time, but that advantage has eroded as the full invasion has progressed.
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Ukraine has established itself as a leader by rapidly advancing and fielding superior drone and electronic warfare systems that give it a significant advantage on the battlefield.
Recent successes in the Kursk region highlight the strength of Ukraine's military: Ukrainian forces have used electronic warfare techniques to disable Russian drones, then deployed their own drones to find and attack Russian positions. Ground forces have since made a steady, methodical advance to secure the area. This approach has left Russian forces struggling to respond.
In contrast, Russia's capabilities have declined, initially using tactics similar to those used during the 2014 annexation and expanding its use of loitering munitions such as the Lancet and Shahed drones, and Russian electronic warfare systems, while initially effective, have become less effective as Ukraine adopts new technologies and tactics.
Forbes reports that Ukraine's technological advantage comes from integrating both the commercial and defense sectors: Currently, over 200 Ukrainian companies produce military drones, with 50 focused on electronic warfare systems due to the shift from commercial technology to military applications.
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Despite historically superior technological capabilities, Russia has struggled to produce at scale and relies on Soviet-era equipment, and its defense industry is hampered by trade embargoes and limits on production capacity, with a focus on foreign sales rather than cutting-edge equipment.
While Ukraine is benefiting from a steady influx of new technologies from the West that is improving its development and production capabilities, Russia faces severe shortages even with supplies from China and Iran.
The competition in drones and electronic warfare will be crucial in the course of the war, and Ukraine’s ability to rapidly innovate and field advanced systems has given it a decisive advantage.
