Savage drone warfare now defines Ukraine’s eastern front.
Near Kostiantynivka, drones hunt each other over trenches while artillery shakes the ground below, reports The Economist.
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Near Kostiantynivka, drones hunt each other over trenches while artillery shakes the ground below, reports The Economist.
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Ukrainian pilot Timon watched his $13,000 Vampire drone “Antoshka” — destroyed by a Russian quadcopter after 20 missions in just three days.
Within 40 minutes, his team had another in the air.
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Within 40 minutes, his team had another in the air.
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The 44th Mechanised Brigade holds the line near Kostiantynivka — a town Russia tried and failed to seize this summer.
After months of assaults, Russian troops gained meters, not cities, leaving thousands of their soldiers dead in open fields.
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After months of assaults, Russian troops gained meters, not cities, leaving thousands of their soldiers dead in open fields.
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Maj. Viacheslav Shutenko, commander of the brigade’s drone unit, says Russians have moved closer and are “systematically destroying civilian infrastructure.”
Nearby Druzhkivka now lives under daily shelling and a 20-hour curfew.
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Nearby Druzhkivka now lives under daily shelling and a 20-hour curfew.
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In August, Russian forces broke through near Dobropillia, advancing 13 km before their supply lines collapsed.
Now they’re surrounded in two pockets, cut off by Ukrainian counterattacks that reclaimed the ground piece by piece.
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Now they’re surrounded in two pockets, cut off by Ukrainian counterattacks that reclaimed the ground piece by piece.
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Lt. Col. Arsen “Lemko” Dimitrik of the Azov Corps says Russia has lost around 10,000 troops and 50 armored vehicles in this sector since August.
He calls the counteroffensive “a textbook example of coordination” among dozens of Ukrainian units.
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He calls the counteroffensive “a textbook example of coordination” among dozens of Ukrainian units.
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The front has turned into a drone war — every trench wired with cameras and jammers, every movement tracked.
Soldiers say the battlefield now runs on batteries and signal strength as much as bullets.
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Soldiers say the battlefield now runs on batteries and signal strength as much as bullets.
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Source: economist.com/europe/2025/10…
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