The Drone War: How Ukraine’s Unmanned Forces Are Changing Modern Warfare

At 33, Oleksandr Yarmak has no sympathy for Russians. Once a chart-topping rapper, he is now at the forefront of Ukraine’s drone warfare, spearheading research and development to maximize the lethality of unmanned aerial technology. His combat experience on the frontlines has shaped his music into national war anthems—an eerie reflection of Ukraine’s modern battlefield.

Ukraine is waging the first full-scale war of the 21st century where drones dictate combat. Small, lethal aircraft dominate the skies, hunting individual soldiers with pinpoint accuracy. Pilots from Ukraine’s Unmanned System Force (USF) operate in bunkers, donning First Person View (FPV) headsets that allow them to track and eliminate Russian troops in real time. Through the drone’s lens, they witness the final moments of their targets—bowing, waving, or frozen in terror before impact.

The fear is so great that Russian troops have nicknamed Ukraine’s night-time drones “Baba Yaga,” after the mythical Slavic witch who snatches children and bakes them alive. Now, this legend takes flight in the form of carbon-fiber UAVs, dropping bombs with deadly precision.

A prototype drone, known as “Vampire,” sits in Yarmak’s office. Silent in the darkness, it uses thermal imaging to hunt its prey, carrying four bombs ready for deployment. Yarmak’s journey into warfare began in 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Initially, Ukrainian forces repurposed commercial drones to drop grenades and mortar rounds. Now, with dwindling artillery and rocket supplies, drones have become essential—accounting for an estimated 80% of Russian casualties.

One of Ukraine’s most feared drone models, Baba Yaga, evolved from an agricultural spraying drone. Yarmak is now shifting focus to land-based unmanned systems and hints at even more advanced weapons slated for unveiling later this year. His force reportedly operates on an annual budget of $1.3 billion.

Yet, the drone war is far from one-sided. Russian UAVs are causing devastation among Ukrainian troops, with precision strikes leaving soldiers paralyzed on the battlefield.

Vitaly, an anaesthetist running a frontline medical unit, sees the toll firsthand. He describes the terror drones instill:

"Ask a wounded soldier what they are. You will see the silent horror in his eyes. They are such a plague that no one can move on the frontline."

Vitaly estimates that 98% of the wounded he treats have been struck by Russian drones. His unit stabilizes an average of 20 soldiers each day, many brought in under the cover of night.

As both sides escalate their reliance on drones, the war in Ukraine has become a harrowing preview of future conflicts—where silent, unseen killers dominate the battlefield, and soldiers on both sides live in constant fear of death from above.

YARMAK / Фото з інстаграму репера