How drone warfare developed in Ukraine in 2025

Published December 28, 2025 6:00am ET



The year 2025 solidified the Russia-Ukraine War as a pioneering conflict of drone warfare, with drones of all types playing more and more decisive roles in the conflict.

Several major changes occurred in drone tactics and production, which fully changed the face of the war. The year was primarily defined by the mass scaling of the production of drones to a previously unimaginable level; the increased range and effectiveness of first-person-view drones, establishing miles-long kill zones behind the front line; the increasing use of drones in asymmetrical attacks by Ukraine; and Russia streamlining drone operations with its elite Rubikon unit.

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