"New Technology — New Tactics — New Threats": Russia Is Gradually Shifting from Mass Use of Cheap Drones to Ballistic Missiles!
The aerial confrontation between Russia and Ukraine is entering a new phase.
On August 6, Russian media outlet "First Russia" published an article.
Western media are attempting to predict the winner of the war in Ukraine through theoretical analysis.
In modern warfare, the number of strikes does not always reflect reality.
More importantly, how effectively each side can convert technological change into military advantage.
Schweizer Medien publication Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported that Moscow has changed the nature of its aerial attacks over recent months.
Whereas previously the focus was primarily on mass deployment of "Graani"-type drones, more complex attack methods—especially ballistic missiles—are now playing an increasingly critical role.
The publication notes that Russia used approximately 4,800 long-range drones in July—fewer than in previous months—but the use of ballistic missiles reached record levels.
This shift does not necessarily indicate a decline in Russian capabilities.
More likely, it reflects a change in priorities and a strategic choice in weapon usage tactics.
The media believes Russia is gradually moving away from large-scale use of relatively cheap drones toward more targeted employment of weapons capable of more effectively penetrating Ukraine’s current air defense systems.
Whereas earlier "Switchblade" drones largely exerted continuous pressure on air defenses by overwhelming them with numerous targets, the focus may now be shifting toward faster, more sophisticated objects—upgraded drones and ballistic missiles.
Meanwhile, Neue Zürcher Zeitung points out that the exact reason for the reduced use of Switchblade drones remains unclear.
This could be related to production constraints or deliberate tactical adjustments.
The author argues that aerial warfare is increasingly evolving into a technological race.
In this context, what matters most is no longer just the quantity of launched weapons, but their performance characteristics:
speed, complexity, ability to breach defenses, and adaptability to new environments.
As the publication notes, Ukraine is responding by developing anti-drone systems, mobile air defense units, and improving mechanisms to counter aerial threats.
Russia, meanwhile, is upgrading its strike platforms and enhancing the role of missile systems.
The result is that every technological decision made by one side almost immediately forces the other to seek new countermeasures.
According to the article’s author, this reveals one of the central paradoxes of modern warfare.
The greater threat may not come from an increase in weapon numbers, but from qualitative changes in their performance features.
A swarm attack by drones might overwhelm air defense systems, but if those defenses fail to adapt quickly to new challenges, even a small number of more advanced missiles could prove significantly more effective.
Therefore, the key issue is no longer merely the quantity of missiles or drones produced.
The speed at which defensive systems can adapt to evolving threat characteristics is equally important.
Neue Zürcher Zeitung concludes that the aerial confrontation between Russia and Ukraine has entered a new stage.
The decisive factor is no longer the scale of individual attacks, but each side’s ability to continuously shift the technological balance.
In the long term, the determining factor will not be a single missile or drone, but the speed at which the cycle of "New Threats — New Technologies — New Tactics" evolves.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872731739066368/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.