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News & Current Events Apr 13, 2026 at 11:33 PM

Russia suffers ‘record’ soldier casualties as Ukraine ups drone production | Russia-Ukraine war News

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Russia suffers ‘record’ soldier casualties as Ukraine ups drone production
Al Jazeera
Russia suffers ‘record’ soldier casualties as Ukraine ups drone production
Russian casualties are mounting, recruitment is falling and territorial gains are dwindling.
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Thugosaurus_Rex Apr 14, 2026 +2170
Numbers aside, 96% attributed to drones is almost unbelievable. What a massive shift in what contemporary warfare looks like.
2170
ShortStoryIntros Apr 14, 2026 +168
I still remember early days... when you saw the logistical nightmare of trucks, tanks, etc... getting absolutely destroyed because they sat in a column waiting for orders or refueling. Now, Drones can takeout pretty much anything. Popping tank turrets up 50-100ft in the air, no problem. Eventhough this war seems like an old WW1 type of trench warfare. Its highlighted how advanced and unpredictable future wars are going to become. Its no longer the amount of soldiers you have on the ground, but behind the monitor.
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Fallouttgrrl Apr 14, 2026 +51
We've got soldiers in exosuits too Cyberpunk dystopia is getting more and more real every day
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ShortStoryIntros Apr 14, 2026 +25
Yeah, it really has a Cyberpunk feel. Some of the suits look similar to whats seen in the movie Edge of Tomorrow
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Fallouttgrrl Apr 14, 2026 +30
Yeah so far they're mostly used for assistance with running and with loading heavy things But damned if we're not getting closer to the days of "drones turn tanks into sitting ducks, but we'll always need infantry" power armor
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ShortStoryIntros Apr 14, 2026 +20
I noticed that. Some of that tech is even finding itself into civilian life.. (Farming and Gardening knee/back exoskeletons) to lift heavy things or prevent excessive repetitive stress. Pretty damn cool Your right about the Tanks.. and I guess it's only a matter of time before those Boston dynamics robots take our place as infantry on the battlefield. Speaking of... Zelensky just showcased his new Drone fleet. They were recently able to take over an enemy position without using any human troops of their own. The video has some futuristic Terminator vibes to it
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tech_noir_guitar Apr 14, 2026 +9
Wait, what? I must have missed that one. You have a link to the exosuit fighters?
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TheProuDog Apr 14, 2026 +6
Where?
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WendellSchadenfreude Apr 14, 2026 +17
> Popping tank turrets up 50-100ft in the air, no problem. It's not the drone doing that, it's the [tank's own ammunition "cooking off"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-in-the-box_effect). And it would rarely happen in Western tanks. Most of these tiny FPV drones can't take out tanks at all, their payload is too small and only meant to fight infantry and unarmoured vehicles. But their operators can of course quickly inform their better-equipped comrades and call in artillery strikes, or heavier drones. Besides, a tank isn't that dangerous anymore after all supporting infantry has been killed or scattered.
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alekou8 Apr 14, 2026 +1041
The US isn’t ready for new war
1041
DeathCabForYeezus Apr 14, 2026 +1572
"Remember IEDs? They fly now." was something I saw written. Half of all deaths in Afghanistan were as a result of IEDs. And now instead of you needing to go to the IED, the IED comes to you at between 20 and 200mph.
1572
Zealousideal_Yak_671 Apr 14, 2026 +333
Uber-dead
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WastingMyLifeToday Apr 14, 2026 +196
Dead-Lyft
196
Late-Resolve9871 Apr 14, 2026 +121
Taxi-dermied
121
Floortank Apr 14, 2026 +101
Doom-dash
101
machiz7888 Apr 14, 2026 +50
Fresh-Dierect
50
Same-Chipmunk5923 Apr 14, 2026 +50
Fed Exed.
50
genreprank Apr 14, 2026 +35
DeadHL
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[deleted] Apr 14, 2026 +16
[deleted]
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Brandarius47 Apr 14, 2026 +60
Honestly i know very little about drone technology.. but 200mph seems crazy. Nkt unbelievable or anything. Just wow its far away you here it for a second and nothing every again.
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Sivalon Apr 14, 2026 +54
Shoot, a small drone going 30mph would be more than enough
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Brandarius47 Apr 14, 2026 +40
I wonder if youd even hear it coming at 200mph.. maybe a quick noise and thats it? Thats wild to me
40
vr_fanboy Apr 14, 2026 +51
no need to imagine, we have a bajillion videos from all POV's imaginable, both ukr/rus, both target and drone, heck we even have synchronized videos with both POV's. Is easy to understand how it sounds/looks/feels to be a target in the ukraine theatre, it can be super fast, or painfully slow, its up to the drone operator / type
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Brandarius47 Apr 14, 2026 +12
I should look more into it.. though i really dont want to see the outcome. I read the articles and what not to see whats happening over there but generally avoid the videos, good side or bad side id rather not see the end of some strangers life. I remember a video not to long ago of a russian soilder seeingbthe drone and just.. giving up trying to flee cuz he knew it was inevitable
12
Willing-Bumblebee446 Apr 14, 2026 +17
The world’s leadership needs a cleansing unlike anything in history
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OttawaTGirl Apr 14, 2026 +33
Wait till dyson starts making drones... Those will be silent.
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Brandarius47 Apr 14, 2026 +36
Idk any dyson vacuum i had really sucked
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achtungbitte Apr 14, 2026 +27
they're supposed to suck
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Pocket_Jury Apr 14, 2026 +15
And cost 4-times as much as other drones.
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OttawaTGirl Apr 14, 2026 +5
Did a dive and there are bladeless testing being done. So dyson wont need to! Someone else make silent death.
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Fallouttgrrl Apr 14, 2026 +5
Silent but deadly has been around for a long time
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Silent_Death Apr 14, 2026 +6
You summoned me?
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thisFishSmellsAboutD Apr 14, 2026 +4
Will they suck? Or just blow?
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Brandarius47 Apr 14, 2026 +7
My guess is theyd blow (up)
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DeathCabForYeezus Apr 14, 2026 +41
The Sting drone operated by the Wild Hornets in Ukraine can reach just a smidge under 200mph. They use them to intercept Shahed drones and not anti-personnel/anti-vehicle, but the tech is still there and actively used in theatre.
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null-interlinked Apr 14, 2026 +3
ASren't those made with the help of Terra drones from Tokyo?
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Colbert2020 Apr 14, 2026 +90
I think it is insane people have not been following the four years of the Ukraine invasion. I don't understand why the war in Ukraine is something no-one cares about. More people have been killed in this war in this period of time than all the other conflicts in the Middle East COMBINED. The war wages daily and yet all I see are posts about I/P or other Middle East skirmishes and incursions. Anyways, I tell people about how drone combat evolved and they don't believe me. It's the way countermeasures evolved against it which are very interesting. At first you just had the normal remote-controlled drones. Then electronic countermeasures became something people deployed to secure locations. The operators would lose communication with the drone and they'd be useless. Then, they began to deploy drones using fiber-optic cables. These are thin wires, as thick as fishing lines. While their range was diminished, they were immune to jamming. This is the part where people don't believe me, but areas with high drone activity look like they are covered in thousands of spider-webs with these fiber-optic cables everywhere. Look it up. There was a daring attack Ukraine did deep in Russian territory that took out a fiber-optic plant. In order to protect valuable supply-lines and evacuation routes from drones, Ukrainians set up nets along roads. The Shahed became its own obstacle. It's interesting because it flies kind of slow compared to modern jets like the F-16. Shooting a missile at it is really cost ineffective, but using your guns in a fast-moving jet is actually very dangerous. Drones warfare is very complex now and highly specialized. There's anti-jamming drones, drones tethered by fiber optic cables, the IED drones, surveillance drones. They have different hardware like infrared, and some are equipped with AI. But the spider-web towns from the fiber-optic cables are just the most surreal thing to look at.
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Tammer_Stern Apr 14, 2026 +32
The best story I read was when Ukraine paid Russians to drive trucks all the way to long range bomber bases in the centre / east of Russia. When the trucks parked at the agreed stop, the Ukrainians activated the drones that were hidden in the truck (the roof slid back). The drones then flew over to the base and destroyed their long range bombers.
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insufficientmind Apr 14, 2026 +24
There's some wiild footage from operation spiderweb. There where russians filming the drones taking off one after another right next to the trucks when the roof slid off and they started flying out. Then we see the drones view of each and every one of the them smashing into the airplanes and the following drones filming the burning planes. There was even a soldier with an air defence gun filming a selfie of himself with drones and fires in the background just shaking his head saying it was a hopeless situation. An unbelievable operation! And it could have been even worse if all the trucks had managed to reach their destination to release their cargo. There where a couple that failed with some airports untouched or not nearly as hard hit as the worst cases. Total count of damaged or destroyed planes where 41. It would be fun to see a follow up if the war continues. Though not sure how necessary it is by now. The FP1 and FP2 drones are having a devastating effect as is with daily attacks on expensive russian equipment and bases. Check out Jake Broe YouTube channel for some good reporting on it all. And a sidenote here: Yesterday I saw the latest mini drone carrier built by Ukraine. It can carry 6 FPV drones!
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JasonsThoughts Apr 14, 2026 +26
> I think it is insane people have not been following the four years of the Ukraine invasion. I don't understand why the war in Ukraine is something no-one cares about. I can only speak for myself, obvs, but for me it's compassion fatigue. I do care about the war in Ukraine, but as an individual person there's little I'm able to do. It doesn't help that my country's government (USA) has turned their back on Ukraine. Reading about the war, and thinking about how many Ukrainians have been displaced or died, is really depressing. Sometimes I have to look away for my own mental health.
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Hodaka Apr 14, 2026 +37
> I think it is insane people have not been following the four years of the Ukraine invasion. In the US, given Trump's flip flopping on Ukraine and his relationship with Putin, the media aren't really sure what to say. F/ex: Putin is allegedly helping Iran target US military bases. Later Trump calls Putin as if he was an old friend.
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Colbert2020 Apr 14, 2026 +29
Yeah, no. People weren't paying attention even during Biden's admin after the first year. However, the media was super focused on I/P and isn't letting up. I don't care what you think of that conflict, it is minor compared to what's been happening in Ukraine. People are freaking out over deaths and injuries in the Middle East totaling thousands. There's been over a million casualties in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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daynomate Apr 14, 2026 +7
Check out the world record for drone speed on yt - DIYers just innovating on the c****. 500km/h +
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Druggedhippo Apr 14, 2026 +7
World's Fastest Camera Drone Vs F1 Car (ft. Max Verstappen) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pEqyr_uT-k
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Tango_D Apr 14, 2026 +36
Artillery that tracks you personally and rarely misses and the fiber optic ones cannot be jammed
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3deltapapa Apr 14, 2026 +25
But the gun bros on 2A forums are convinced they're gonna git granpappy's old side-by-side and blow these things out of the air with one well placed 12ga shell
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Tango_D Apr 14, 2026 +7
good luck with that. Even if they did manage to detonate it before it hits them, they will still eat the shrapnel and the other side will simply send more to finish them off.
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monty845 Apr 14, 2026 +5
Semi-auto shotguns are heavily used in Ukraine for drone defense. They are also rolling out 5.56mm rounds that are essentially mini shotgun shells. So its not totally off base, even if a 2-round capacity shotgun is a poor choice. What is less clear is just how effective such measures are. Any defense is better than the alternative: No defense. But realistically, this just extends the time line, whether its the 2nd or the 10th drone sent in that gets you, instead of the first...
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3deltapapa Apr 14, 2026 +3
yeah it's better than nothing but I think a poor situation if that's what you're using
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Settra_Rulez Apr 14, 2026 +7
The Ukrainians have already mitigated that issue by necessity. I expect most countries will develop anti-drone drone industries over the coming years.
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Thunder-12345 Apr 14, 2026 +9
But America will need 30 billion dollars in development costs and it'll be ready to deploy by 2040
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KindOfPoo Apr 14, 2026 +5
>"Remember IEDs? They fly now." [They fly now?!!](https://youtu.be/Ho4xcXIgIr0)
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CaptainThorIronhulk Apr 14, 2026 +2
They fly now?
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Alt1690 Apr 14, 2026 +2
They flow now?!?
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BooksandBiceps Apr 14, 2026 +74
Air supremacy would change the Ukraine and Russian situations a bit. I also thing the advent laser weapons for anti-drone work will change a lot, though that’s 5-10 years out.
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thegoatmenace Apr 14, 2026 +27
Yeah there’s a chance that these c**** drones will basically become useless once lasers are commonplace on the battlefield. In the meantime they will remain an enormous problem. And it will be a long time until non-superpowers have access to anti-drone lasers.
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ShermansAngryGhost Apr 14, 2026 +28
The never ending cycle between the sword and the shield. Currently the sword reigns supreme, but the shields day will come.
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SC_TheBursar Apr 14, 2026 +3
From a military history perspective, in the race of 'warhead' and 'armor', armor is rarely in the lead for long no matter how visible and notable it might be, just from a simple matter of physics. There's a reason why battleships no longer exist, main battle tanks don't have nearly the role they did anymore (and when they were dominant it was like v like battles - GAU-8 beats tank every time). It's easier to make the caliber/muzzle velocity of a gun a bit higher than it is to make effectively useful armor proof against it. Forces continue to stand off from each other by longer and longer distances because of this reason. Technological improvement of defense gives temporary reprieve, but only long enough for the next (and easier typically) advance to defeat it. 'Offense is the best Defense' was coined for a reason.
3
StarktechJanitor Apr 14, 2026 +4
Lasguns
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mickdrop Apr 14, 2026 +3
The Emperor protects
3
engineeringstoned Apr 14, 2026 +8
Nope.. I'll just have a swarm fly to your location . One of my cheapest drones is enough for your multimillion dollar weapon
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Winter_Criticism_236 Apr 14, 2026 +7
Until it rains, or snows
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thegoatmenace Apr 14, 2026 +14
Drones also have a hard time in inclement weather.
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MonoMcFlury Apr 14, 2026 +45
Laser weaponry is definitely helpful, but there are some significant drawbacks. Its effective range is much shorter than kinetic weapons, and its performance degrades considerably in foggy or rainy conditions.
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BooksandBiceps Apr 14, 2026 +14
A shorter effective range is fine, they’re drones, not a plane or fast-moving cruise missile - you can also reliably hit it unlike kinetics. The foggy or rain is less of an issue than it was before.
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MonoMcFlury Apr 14, 2026 +13
Working together in a system with conventional weapons is the way to go. https://youtu.be/PV3jfR-FUFc?is=33bFSJNHHTBJKq8H
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WendellSchadenfreude Apr 14, 2026 +4
> performance degrades considerably in foggy or rainy conditions. That also seems to be the case for (small, tactical) drones at the moment, so it might not be that big of a problem.
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Cosmo_Seinfeld Apr 14, 2026 +8
>The US isn’t ready for new war They fired the Army General the other day who has been working to modernize the US Army regarding drones.
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whoanellyzzz Apr 14, 2026 +4
conventional war no but airstrikes yes lol
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macrocephalic Apr 14, 2026 +9
The US has been unable to maintain safe passage through a single 20km wide waterway.
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arkon__ Apr 14, 2026 +7
It would require troops on the ground for such a comment to make any sense.
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AverageLiberalJoe Apr 14, 2026 +11
It's insane how much money and hardware we have that's basically useless now. Eventually it will just be swarms of tiny AI driven solar powered, single casualty poppers. Impossible to shoot down, impossible to predict a flight path, ability to take down any target from any distance. Dirt c****, easy to produce. Like a colony of cartoon ants turning into a sledge hammer. The Incredible Engineering of the Black Hornet Nano Drone - Engineering.com https://share.google/QTD0dwNG4Ro9Cxke0
11
UltimateKane99 Apr 14, 2026 +44
Eh... Useless? I feel like useless is the wrong term. The fact is that US weaponry will still be devastatingly powerful at wiping out C&C centers, hardened targets, and masses of troops. These drones need distribution centers, IT tech teams, communication systems (at least for anything over any reasonable distance to engage US forces), etc., all of which are fair game now and well within range of the US's stand-off weaponry. Arguably, MOST of the US arsenal is actually keenly built for this sort of warfare. The US's heavy reliance on air supremacy to the point of ridiculousness grants them a lot of staying power in short to medium range drone fights, and Growlers have potent ECM suites to fry drones that get too close to aircraft. However, air power has never won a war, and while this will absolutely play well into the US's standard "shock and awe" strategy, their enemies will likely see as great or greater of a benefit from drone warfare due to their previous heavy reliance on "mass waves of soldiers" that fits better into this drone-niche than the US will. If every soldier is 9 drones and a soldier, the higher quality training of the US soldiers will see their edge diminished greatly purely by gross weight of ordnance arrayed against them. The US will need to have higher quality and higher efficacy drones if they want to fight toe to toe with near-peer enemies now. Which I'm sure DARPA and all these AI companies with new military contracts are positively *salivating* over... 
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abellapa Apr 14, 2026 +8
What mass of troops ? In ukraine, Rússia stopped massing troops for a New offensive because they can easily be spotteed by drones
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woodrax Apr 14, 2026 +72
During a recent NATO exercise, Hedgehog 2025, 10 drone operators rendered 2 NATO battalions combat ineffective in a day. They used 30 drones and (simulated) the destruction of 17 armored vehicles. Average time to detect the enemy on the field once the drones were in the air was a couple of minutes.
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jmacintosh250 Apr 14, 2026 +34
Part of it is Ukraine and Russia’s tactics favor drones over all else. No one wants big confrontations: you try to go around with one to two guys, find a breakthroughs and push in there. These are best countered by *Drum roll* Drones. Because it’s easier than firing an artillery shell. And neither side is putting out the men to counter the other. Combine that with both sides having artillery heavy doctrines and starting to run out of 155, and drones are the method to fill it. Artillery was one of the major killers in war, and drones are filling the void on both sides.
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BooYeah8844 Apr 14, 2026 +6
Yes. The success of drones in Ukraine has been born out of the stalemate and desperation of Ukraine for defense. Russia had old failed offensive doctrine and neither side really attacks with full suppyon all fronts and aspects.
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G_Morgan Apr 14, 2026 +15
Worth noting that drones are so prevalent in this conflict because neither side can get enough artillery and air power in. Drones are a battlefield shift but they are over represented in this war because both sides can make drones when they can't make other things. It is also partially a consequence that neither side is really using third generational warfare here so the lines are WW1 style static which also makes it easier for drones.
15
EuropaWeGo Apr 14, 2026 +4
That craziest part is that the majority of the drones are fairly c**** to produce and will only become cheaper as productivity and logistics are improved.
4
Infamous_Alpaca Apr 14, 2026 +6
96% is insane, they live in a different reality then everyone else. I feel bad for the soldiers returning from this war. Many of them will suffer from PTSD, and anything drone-related will trigger them. Imagine someone flying a "hobby drone" nearby, or even just hearing certain everyday sounds. Maybe we could have drone-free neighborhoods for veterans so they can rehabitate and adjust to society again.
6
rangeDSP Apr 14, 2026 +12
We truly live in the future... I wonder how long until those become completely autonomous
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[deleted] Apr 14, 2026 +10
[deleted]
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mad-data Apr 14, 2026 +13
Is it a meaningful question? Desirable to whom? Anyway, it will happen regardless whether it is desirable. 
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rangeDSP Apr 14, 2026 +4
Undoubtedly. A lot of current anti-drone warfare is about disrupting their uplink to operators. If there's no operator, you just need to release drones with a preloaded mission profile over an area and let it do its thing.  
4
Bloodshitnightmare Apr 14, 2026 +9
Probably happened yesterday.
9
Primary-Debate-549 Apr 14, 2026 +2
The Turkish drones, Bayraktar, were famous for having a completely autonomous mode. Ukraine decided never to use it again pretty quickly though. They weren't clear on why.
2
3050_mjondalen Apr 14, 2026 +3
Check out the short movie "Slaughterbots" on youtube for a look at how depressive that is
3
FrozenChocoProduce Apr 14, 2026 +5
A bit more than a year ago, it used to be basically 50/50 with artillery, which already is a Crazy number...
5
Primary-Debate-549 Apr 14, 2026 +3
Apparently the change is that Ukraine's killbots (sorry "drones") essentially don't care about artillery or mines. Not even the ground drones. So Russian artillery and tanks just do nothing anymore.
3
DSA300 Apr 14, 2026 +3
That's insane 😭
3
Sea_Low1579 Apr 14, 2026 +3
Terminator just had the dates wrong.
3
Plastic-Fox0293 Apr 14, 2026 +4
Drones are the future. They make far too much sense in far too many ways to not use them extensively.  But on the bright side, it's not all bad. [Look at that %!?&](https://m.youtube.com/shorts/G6KDeYJri_Y)
4
lugitik_ Apr 14, 2026 +2
It's a bit akin to WW1 no man's land again. Instead of fear of machine guns it's drones now and tanks seldom help.
2
hornswoggled111 Apr 13, 2026 +704
>Ukraine tallied Russian casualties at 35,351 last month, with drones causing 96 per cent of them while artillery and small arms fire accounted for the rest. That casualty rate was a 29 per cent increase on February, said Ukraine’s commander in chief. Lives wasted for an awful purpose. But I barely care. I'm just hoping the Ukrainian troops are safely hidden away while they continue this grim task.
704
4DollarsALB Apr 14, 2026 +290
What do Russians think they are getting out of this? It boggles my mind that Putin is still so popular
290
Main-Economist2839 Apr 14, 2026 +444
Same reason the US elected Trump. Propaganda works.
444
mysomica Apr 14, 2026 +185
Trump almost perfectly embodies the hubris, general traits and collective intellect of the entire nation he represents in my honest opinion. I believe that is why he was elected... twice.
185
SaddamMustaine Apr 14, 2026 +78
Because all of those people were justifiably left behind, refuse to live in the current reality, cling to nostalgia that really never even existed, and this is their final extinction burst. They are the last ones to realize that the universe has washed them out.
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Jaew96 Apr 14, 2026 +11
I hope you’re right, but you’ve got to realize that each generation of those people have been indoctrinating their kids to think exactly the same way. It would be a dangerous mistake to think that their mindset will be going extinct any time soon.
11
Zealousideal_Yak_671 Apr 14, 2026 +57
nostalgia that really never even existed Fascism in a nutshell
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SaddamMustaine Apr 14, 2026 +15
Amen
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mysomica Apr 14, 2026 +12
Who knows, maybe it’s a giant collective wake-up call for the yanks now that they’ve seen the grotesque image of themselves. I suspect not, this theme will continue and their downfall is indeed nigh
12
SaddamMustaine Apr 14, 2026 +17
As a yank, I am beyond embarrassed.
17
RaggaDruida Apr 14, 2026 +13
Well, nixon, reagan, bush jr. They've had plenty of moments to wake up, instead every time they go dumber.
13
Hal_Fenn Apr 14, 2026 +7
Please tell me this is as dumb as they get? This has to be the floor, right?.... Right!?
7
Jaew96 Apr 14, 2026 +7
Sorry, it looks like they’ve all brought shovels.
7
Monteze Apr 14, 2026 +3
Trump posted himself as Jesus healing folks and this supports are still there. I don't think he could *tell* them to stop supporting him at this rate.
3
fuckindeege Apr 14, 2026 +4
Goddamn what a comment
4
Negative_Aide_3771 Apr 14, 2026 +7
Half. There is a whole bunch of us way against all of it. See new york city and mamdami. People rejoiced about n the streets
7
mysomica Apr 14, 2026 +3
Personally, I don't accept that argument. I do feel sorry for the ordinary, decent, right thinking Amaricans, but Trump is the embodiment of the collective (abomi)nation you've all allowed yourselves to become. This isn't a 4 year swing, it's decades in the making.
3
DJPelio Apr 14, 2026 +8
Indeed. Social media propaganda is the most powerful weapon that Russia ever used against USA. It’s more powerful than nukes.
8
vagif Apr 14, 2026 +11
Russians don't think. They obey.
11
savuporo Apr 14, 2026 +27
> What do Russians think they are getting out of this? The whole history of russia since the golden horde retreated 600 years ago is nothing but subjugating its neighbours. It's not that they expect to get anything out of it, it's just how they function. It's not called "the prison of nations" for nothing
27
singngthrowaway177 Apr 14, 2026 +29
Putin used the justifications that the invasion was to protect Russia in the face of NATO eastward expansionism as well as Ukraine’s Nazism and persecution of Russians in the Donbas. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of Russians still see the war as a just war in defence of their own people and nation against an existential threat. Their citizens are subject to very selective news and media; it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest if they are still supportive. I think the interesting (and grim) question is at what point in time will the impact of the death toll and the economy outweigh Putin’s justifications. Stalin’s population was much easier to motivate in WW2 because there was a genuine aggressor clearly in their territory. It’s hard to say how much longer Putin’s simulation of the same imperatives to fight and suffer in this war can last; beyond increased fuel and food prices and perhaps the death of the odd mutual relative or friend, I don’t think the average Russian is even affected by it, and even less so the rich Russians.
29
Ceskaz Apr 14, 2026 +8
That and I believe Russians are professional at looking elsewhere when they have a problem. Subpar standard of almost everything and high inequality of rights and means comes from institutional issues? Nah, it's the west's fault. What do you think about the war in Ukraine? "I'm not into politics".
8
singngthrowaway177 Apr 14, 2026 +3
Easy to say when you’re not living there it has to be said. I think people in the west would behave similarly if they were threatened with arrest for dissent.
3
derverdwerb Apr 14, 2026 +22
Well, a paid contract for a start. Every one of these Russian soldiers got a sign-on bonus. I’m willing to bet that they don’t really believe they’re doing the _right_ thing, they’re just trying to profit from violence.
22
The_Frozen_Inferno Apr 14, 2026 +3
They are getting what they are told to think they are getting but they’re not actually getting it
3
MattyGWS Apr 14, 2026 +3
at this point if putin backs out it will ruin his reputation and it'd be admitting the war was pointless to begin with. Sadly putin is going with the sunken cost fallacy.
3
Jeffery95 Apr 14, 2026 +3
They are meant to be getting something? This is what Russians do. They live, they go to war and then they come back in a bag
3
KopOut Apr 14, 2026 +274
Ukraine’s military is probably going to come out of this war as the most capable for modern land warfare. If you have watched any YouTube videos of these conflicts with the drones, you have seen how effective and simple they are. Ukraine appears to have mastered it, and it does seem like the future of land wars (which is terrifying).
274
echokalos Apr 14, 2026 +66
Unfortunately so does russia
66
RainbowAppIe Apr 14, 2026 +119
I’m not pro Russia by any means, but Russia is right there with Ukraine with drone warfare. We in the west just see way more footage released from Ukraine than anything out of Russia. Russia was leading the way initially with fiber optic fpv drones. Both sides are suffering greatly from this new kind of warfare.
119
Reqvhio Apr 14, 2026 +16
i have an ironically grim hope that drones become so "meta" that foot soldiers will almost stop being deployed/people will just up and reject being a drone target. 96% seems to signal that effectively conventional warfare is near-over.
16
Arlcas Apr 14, 2026 +14
Even with the drones you still need people to go get the ground they clear so that the drone teams can keep advancing. The drones just replaced the conventional artillery in the close support role not yet conventional infantry. This is just a more dystopian WW1 trench warfare scenario for now.
14
Current-Ideal-697 Apr 15, 2026 +1
Why not ground drones?
1
beached89 Apr 14, 2026 +4
Drones, artillery and bombs can deny area from being used and occupied effectively. But if you ever hope to have that land are be useful for anything, humans are required. If you wish to farm it, manufacture on it, live on it, you need to move people into it. The infantry will be those people until it is deemed safe and secure enough to move civilians into it. ALLLLL branches and functions of EVERY military exist for one reason. To support infantry.
4
tellsyoutogetfucked Apr 14, 2026 +3
The US and Europe are still present and observing what is happening. But the reality is only Russia and Ukraine have actual troops that understand how this type of war functions in practice. And as we have seen that current US administration is just not that keen to learn from Ukraine because they see themselves as superior to everyone.
3
Skinnwork Apr 14, 2026 +11
I found how they let drone units operate independently with a points system really interesting.
11
Pseudanonymius Apr 14, 2026 +9
One great reason for letting them join the EU. EU is in itself a defensive alliance, and they would be the greatest asset on that front you could wish. 
9
genreprank Apr 14, 2026 +13
I already heard some 2A people talking about your right to own drones
13
Asclepius777 Apr 14, 2026 +11
there's a guy with a video on youtube on how to make 3D printed SAMs with an integrated network that can work with an entire f****** 3D printed ecosystem. the shit is insane
11
fodafoda Apr 14, 2026 +5
> 3D printed SAMs with an integrated network that can work with an entire f****** 3D printed ecosystem. have a link? genuinely curious
5
Lawlcopt0r Apr 14, 2026 +8
Yeah, it'd be great if the next school shooting is done remotely and we won't even know who did it /s
8
GenericUsername2056 Apr 14, 2026 +3
See, the neat thing is all the students and teachers will be using drones too to be present remotely. It'll end up being drone-on-drone violence. 
3
RecursiveCook Apr 14, 2026 +206
It’s sad how normalized this war is in Ukraine. My uncle just tells his kids to look out the window for missiles. My friend who just wants to play some Valheim randomly goes MIA for 3 weeks and comes back like “yeah sorry couple FPV drones were chasing me down no big deal” like wtf???
206
Late-Resolve9871 Apr 14, 2026 +60
Why does that take 3 weeks?
60
hedoeswhathewants Apr 14, 2026 +56
Gave them the slip in Panama
56
RecursiveCook Apr 14, 2026 +3
He’s in the military, undergoing training but still close enough to the front and gets moved
3
Infamous_Alpaca Apr 14, 2026 +17
Humans adapt very quickly to situations. Those comments would have been common in the UK during WWII.
17
Tall-Reputation-9519 Apr 14, 2026 +6
I remember reading the British government ordered millions of cardboard coffins at the start of the Blitz \[German bombing of London\] because they assumed loads of people would kill themselves when faced with the daily horror of potential death. Turns out humans (everywhere, not just Britain) quickly get used to it and just get on with life.
6
Infamous_Alpaca Apr 14, 2026 +6
I don't remember where I read about it, but there is a study about children who were sent to the countryside to be protected from trauma versus those who stayed with their parents. Those who were separated from their parents actually suffered worse long-term trauma than the kids who experienced the explosions firsthand.
6
Long-Euphoric-Life Apr 13, 2026 +133
Hmm sending wave after wave of humans at killbots is literally Zapp Brannigans go to strategy! But he knows the killbots have a kill limit, meanwhile… I don’t think the Ukrainian killbots have a limit.  Someone check for me?
133
Shafticus Apr 14, 2026 +10
He's got the Captains Itch.
10
Primary-Debate-549 Apr 14, 2026 +9
There is a deleted scene where Bender hangs out with one of the killbots and just hits the reset button on one of them.
9
____DEADPOOL_______ Apr 14, 2026 +2
All the people he's sending to their deaths makes me feel horrible. I get it's great when a russian soldier who is trying to invade gets killed, but some of those guys really didn't want to be there in the first place. What a horrible war the world is just sitting back and watching.
2
Colbert2020 Apr 14, 2026 +64
The Sting drone is so cool. It can move at 300 MP/H to intercept the Shahed 150 MP/H drone at 2k a cost.
64
No_Conversation_9325 Apr 13, 2026 +212
Looks like Ukraine can fight till the last Russian, eh?
212
fafatzy Apr 14, 2026 +35
Seems to be holding some cards
35
Saneless Apr 14, 2026 +29
I couldn't imagine losing a war this badly, continuing to do so, when you have the power to stop it immediately
29
kraftdinnerwithsalsa Apr 13, 2026 +73
When will the Russian people resist their tyrant? How much blood is too much?
73
4DollarsALB Apr 14, 2026 +20
Polls in Russia aren't 100% accurate but everything I have read is that he is still immensely popular which is crazy
20
DysphoriaGML Apr 14, 2026 +8
I mean, every opposing voice, even for barely related stuff is heavily suppressed; and whoever could testimony that war is bad get blown up by a drone few seconds after
8
Knotted_Hole69 Apr 14, 2026 +6
Imagine Fox News x10 Thats all they have to watch there and they arnt going in person.
6
Key-Rough-8346 Apr 14, 2026 +42
They won’t. The ones with the means to fight are in Ukraine, well away from Putin. The rest are thankful to not be on the frontlines, and wouldn’t risk themselves by standing up. It’s the same story in the U.S. with this Iran nonsense.
42
mickeyt1 Apr 14, 2026 +26
How does that mirror the Iran situation at all? A tiny fraction of the US armed services are deployed to the region, and the us has suffered only a handful of casualties 
26
ApprehensiveLet1405 Apr 14, 2026 +3
Protests don't work without leaders, and the last man who dared to lead protests died vomiting on the prison floor. 
3
Safe_Score2222 Apr 14, 2026 +3
It’s mainly volunteers that are being used on the frontlines. Only if the average Russian starts to have problems will anything change.
3
TheModWhoShaggedMe Apr 14, 2026 +8
They sort of lost that opportunity about 20 to 25 years ago when he consolidated all power and jailed all the oligarchs who wouldn't bend the knee (seizing their assets in the process). Americans are experiencing that same situation now and will soon lose the opportunity to resist the GOP's tyranny if we don't take significant actions (such as wipe them out in the midterms) this year.
8
jy3 Apr 14, 2026 +44
So many lives lost. This is a nightmare.
44
Primary-Debate-549 Apr 14, 2026 +5
This is the future. Because, obviously, this will be used by islamic terrorists in the west soon. I mean, they'll execute it pretty badly compared to Ukraine. But it's coming.
5
irishyardball Apr 14, 2026 +32
Crazy how as soon as the Ukrainians stopped sharing plans with Trump's admin they started kicking Russia's ass again.
32
d0dger Apr 14, 2026 +15
I think the change of Russia's fortunes on the front lines coincides more with them losing access to Starlink than anything to do with intelligence sharing.
15
PulIthEld Apr 14, 2026 +30
Begun the drone wars have
30
Miserablecunt28 Apr 14, 2026 +15
Cooked, we are
15
Ancient_Ship2980 Apr 14, 2026 +33
Go Zelensky, go! Go, Ukraine, go! Long live s free and independent Ukraine!
33
bored_ryan2 Apr 14, 2026 +22
And Ukraine is about to get $90 billion more to put towards drones thanks to Orban’s defeat in Hungary.
22
ElectricalGene6146 Apr 14, 2026 +7
We basically have drones taking out drones that are aiming for automated factories building drones. Begun the drone wars have.
7
bitchcoin5000 Apr 14, 2026 +13
Good. And now they've lost their Hungarian stooge, W****-Ban. Newly elected Magyar's statement on Monday - ”Magyar stated, "We cannot ask any country to give up its territory," noting that "Ukraine is the victim in this war"
13
SwedeLostInCanada Apr 13, 2026 +21
Oh look, great news on a Monday
21
macross1984 Apr 14, 2026 +9
Record casualties that will keep on creeping up north as Putin refuse to give up what he gained at enormous cost to Russian military hardwares and lives of soldiers, draftee, mercenaries etc.
9
BeatNo4548 Apr 14, 2026 +11
It's the sunken cost fallacy.  He can't quit, he's in too deep.  It's cost them over $1T.
11
need2cnadia Apr 14, 2026 +5
How will Russia’s economy, population and status ever recover from this war?
5
Ganjalfthegreen1 Apr 14, 2026 +4
With time, like always.
4
Positive_Chip6198 Apr 14, 2026 +4
I hope ukraine quadruples drone production this year.
4
This_Way_Comes Apr 14, 2026 +4
Damn. Senseless loss of life.
4
Nemodin Apr 14, 2026 +3
So many dead kids, for nothing. Russia does not care for their people, clearly. What an incredible history of military blunders.
3
Shadowlance23 Apr 14, 2026 +7
The scary thing is these casualties are likely dead or permanently incapacitated. A soldier shot in the leg can be patched up and shipped back out, but there's no coming back from a drone blowing off said leg.
7
Perfect_Opposite2113 Apr 14, 2026 +3
From the videos I’ve seen, if one of these gets close enough to blow your leg off it’s likely also going to blow you entirely to bits.
3
Icy_Tune2834 Apr 14, 2026 +9
Imagine being drafted or signing a contract w/ Russia …. only to have you death video recorded by a drone rammed up you ass , Ukraine military then sends that video to your family to watch on a 65in plasma tv .. welcome to the new battlefield..
9
Honest-Estimate4964 Apr 13, 2026 +11
Good. Making money by killing neighbors should sooner or later become unpopular among Russians.
11
hornswoggled111 Apr 13, 2026 +11
>Ukraine tallied Russian casualties at 35,351 last month, with drones causing 96 per cent of them while artillery and small arms fire accounted for the rest. That casualty rate was a 29 per cent increase on February, said Ukraine’s commander in chief. Lives wasted for an awful purpose. But I barely care. I'm just hoping the Ukrainian troops are safely hidden away while they continue this grim task.
11
Winter_Criticism_236 Apr 14, 2026 +5
This tech is inevitable going to robotic weapons with Ai, air, land, sea and space. Given the cost of f35 and aircraft carrier groups, this may well save a ton of money.. Not great...
5
ITrageGuy Apr 14, 2026 +7
How come every Ukraine war video I see is just one or two guys in an open field getting fragged by one of these things? Like, don't they have units or platoons or something? Based on social media propaganda, this war is like some 90s dystopian sci fi horror where they send out one or two people at a time to investigate the Killing Fields for some ill defined reason, only to be killed by The Machines shortly after emerging from The Vault. I know someone else knows what I'm talking about.
7
Wooptie_woop Apr 14, 2026 +7
With all the battlefield surveillance going on now it is very difficult to build up "critical mass".
7
FullaLead Apr 14, 2026 +5
my guess is it's "safer" to have everyone move alone than to lose a whole group at once. If the first guy gets blown up the rest don't follow that route.
5
ITrageGuy Apr 14, 2026 +4
Sure, "not bunching" has been a thing since WW1, but I mean you have guys looking like they're trying go cross-country on foot by themselves. I don't understand the logistics of these encounters at all.
4
legbreaker Apr 14, 2026 +9
With satellites and drones everywhere it becomes impossible to move in columns. If you mass up you instantly get hit by Himars or artillery. So the default strategy to avoid that is to break up into small enough units, just pair really, so that it’s not effective to hunt with Himars or artillery.  But then FPV drones come in and are scalable and c**** enough to make hunting each individual pair of Russians is suddenly c**** and effective.
9
Wooptie_woop Apr 14, 2026 +2
By saying "not bunching has been a thing since ww1" you're refusing to accept the reality of modern reconnaissance.
2
Wajina_Sloth Apr 14, 2026 +2
Instead of 4-10 people per vehicle and sending multiple vehicles, they moved to a “leaking” strategy where you send 1-2 people very sparsely over a long period of time. Its much harder to spot a single motorcycle compared to an armoured column. So while a couple of dudes might get spotted, eventually they have enough people to clear a trench, or take over some buildings.
2
TrueCPA305 Apr 14, 2026 +5
Warfare has changed.
5
e430doug Apr 14, 2026 +2
Drone warfare doesn’t need concentrations of people or material. The distribution centers can be dozens of basements and garages spread across the country. The IT tech teams don’t even need to be in the same country. Drone warfare means that any US adversary will be able to give out pinprick individual casualties every day. If there are a dozen body bags coming home every day from a US ground invasion it won’t last very long. The US public won’t tolerate it.
2
SnooPuppers8698 Apr 14, 2026 +2
its not enough, dont be fooled by feelgood stories that play into russias hand, ukraine needs aid now more than ever urgently
2
K_R_A_K_E_N-540 Apr 14, 2026 +2
Lovely to hear
2
Lifeisshort555 Apr 14, 2026 +2
This war is over for Russia. Once you no longer have an effective way to defend against enemy attack it is over. Putin will be hanged eventually. And the EU will be begging Ukraine for military drones.
2
ty_xy Apr 14, 2026 +2
What's scary is that Ukraine just captured land using purely drones and unmanned systems. New phase of warfare
2
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