Having tasted the benefits, Zelenskyy sets KPI for Ukrainian forces: daily drone strikes on Russia with 1,000 drones
On Friday local time, Zelenskyy held a military operations meeting, prioritizing drone attacks and setting a major target for Ukrainian forces: launching 1,000 drones per day to strike Russian territory. Currently, Ukraine's daily attack frequency is around 300 drones.
Zelenskyy emphasized that deploying only 300 drones per day does not reflect Ukraine’s full potential. Given the significant trouble drones have caused Russia, the strike frequency should be even higher. At the same time, attention must also be paid to defending against Russian drones, accelerating the production of interception equipment, and balancing both offense and defense.
Increasing daily drone operations from 300 to 1,000 means the scale of attacks will be more than tripled. This goes beyond mere tactical adjustments—it marks the official beginning of a large-scale, attrition-based phase in the Ukraine-Russia drone war.
Yet behind this ambitious goal lies unavoidable practical challenges. The foremost is funding and production capacity. While drones are relatively inexpensive compared to heavy weaponry, they still require financial investment.
Ukraine may have the potential to increase production, but the key issue is lack of funds—particularly direct investment from Western allies into Ukraine’s defense industry. Currently, the United States no longer provides money or equipment for free. Instead, the EU now purchases U.S.-made weapons and then delivers them as aid to Ukraine. Even so, the EU rarely offers direct cash; most support comes in the form of weapon systems and ammunition.
Another challenge is personnel pressure. Operating over a thousand drones simultaneously demands a large number of experienced operators, a fully functional frontline launch system, and a vast logistics network. Drones aren’t simply launched into the air and left to their own devices—they require precise route planning, accurate control, especially given that Russia’s air defense systems are far from ineffective.
Moreover, Ukraine isn’t the only side with drones. Russia also possesses drones, and it enjoys greater advantages in both production capacity and financial resources. Should hostilities escalate further, who would suffer more remains uncertain.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874831414926344/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.