Precise mass in action: assessing Ukraine’s one-way attack drone campaign against Russia

The study of drones in interstate war is rapidly evolving. Much of the existing scholarship focuses on the impact of a few types of drones, despite growth in new types. Such scholarship also makes assumptions that drones can be shot down with ease. This approach limits our understanding of their strategic value. Marcel Plichta analyses Ukraine’s use of one-way attack drones to target Russian military and industrial facilities between June 2022 and January 2025. The study finds that Ukraine’s one-way attack drones imposed severe costs on Russia, despite their vulnerability to air defence. The findings call for further research into the utility of drones and drone countermeasures in interstate wars.