Before sunrise, Ukrainian soldiers began their day in a basement hideout close to the front lines in the east. They stretched, rubbed their eyes, and rolled up their sleeping bags. Most of them remained in the basement, using keyboards and joysticks to control drones.
Amid a critical time for Ukraine—balancing hopes for President Trump’s cease-fire discussions with concerns about a potential reduction in U.S. military support—the soldiers participated in a Ukrainian Army effort aimed at maintaining their combat capabilities without American weaponry.
Following a week marked by intense fighting—including the deadliest assault on Kyiv in nearly a year—the Trump administration sent mixed signals regarding future steps. President Trump described a brief meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky as positive, and he hinted at the possibility of additional weapons. Yet, Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that the U.S. might be on the verge of withdrawing from peace negotiations, labeling the upcoming week as “very important.”
If the peace talks falter or the U.S. halts its arms shipments, Ukraine’s drone initiative will likely become even more crucial. Named the Line of Drones, this program emphasizes unmanned aerial vehicles fabricated in Ukraine, primarily small explosive drones operated from basement shelters.
This initiative highlights Ukraine’s capacity for innovation in combat, enabling it to confront a significantly larger adversary.
“It’s no longer a direct person-to-person fight,” explained the commander of the unit working from the basement in eastern Ukraine.
The team operates first-person-view drones that afford the pilots a video feed, akin to sitting in the front row as explosives are directed at Russian troops, vehicles, or fortifications. Out of respect for military protocol, the commander requested to be identified solely by his first name and rank, Private Artem.
Even prior to launching the Line of Drones initiative, Ukraine relied significantly on unmanned weapons, which the military reports now generate roughly 70 percent of casualties on both sides—outpacing all other armaments combined, including tanks, howitzers, mortars, and land mines. While the U.S. provides some of these traditional weapons, Ukrainians assemble their drones locally using parts largely manufactured in China.
The enhanced drone initiative, which has been planned since last fall and officially announced in February, serves as Kyiv’s backup plan if peace negotiations to resolve the conflict—triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022—fall through.
Drones from both sides are constantly active above the battlefield. In this drone warfare, Russia has a numerical advantage, while Ukraine excels in quality, often adopting new technologies swiftly. Innovations include using re-transmitter drones to extend the range of explosive drones and guiding them with ultra-thin fiber-optic cables resistant to jamming.
The Line of Drones strategy has been somewhat overshadowed by cease-fire discussions and President Trump’s skeptical view of Ukraine’s viability without U.S. support (“You don’t have the cards,” he told Mr. Zelensky during a tense meeting in the Oval Office). Nevertheless, military analysts attribute positive outcomes to the drone deployment.
It has partially contributed to a slowdown in the Russian offensive over the last three months. Since January, Russian forces, which advanced rapidly last fall, have faced a stagnation, despite their attempts at costly assaults.
The Russian offensive peaked in November with the capture of 279 square miles of Ukrainian territory, according to DeepState, a group linked to the Ukrainian military. In March, only 51 square miles were seized, according to their analysis. Russia’s main advancement during winter was pushing Ukraine out of the nearly entire Kursk region inside Russia.
The Ukrainian effort aims to expand four drone battalions into full regiments, increasing their size from approximately 700 troops to 2,500, equipped with first-person-view drones, others that deploy bombs, and unmanned ground vehicles, which include remote-controlled units armed with machine guns.
All conflicts promote innovation, from the creation of radar in World War II to night-vision technology in Vietnam. However, Ukraine’s drone strategy arose as a response to a significant military challenge: declining motivation among Ukrainians to enlist following three years of war. Draft evasion has grown, making it difficult to replenish troop numbers.
Drones do not replace soldiers; indeed, each first-person-view drone operation may require a team of up to four personnel. In northeastern Ukraine last week, a drone team included a pilot, navigator, armorer, and a retransmission drone pilot.
However, attracting recruits for these roles is more feasible than enlisting individuals for infantry positions in the trenches.
With fewer soldiers at their disposal compared to Russia, Ukraine aims to minimize direct confrontations. This is where drones play a vital role.
The strategy concentrates on capturing a strip of land approximately 18 miles deep behind Russian lines. By saturating this area with reconnaissance and strike drones, Ukraine can hinder Russian troops from gathering for attacks. These drones, capable of flying at around 80 miles per hour, can outpace any ground movements.
“The evidence suggests that it’s effective,” stated Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, regarding the drone initiative. He noted that shortages in Russian equipment and challenging winter conditions also contributed to their struggles.
According to Mr. Kofman, the objective was to create a force capable of “locking down extensive sections of the front” and sustaining itself without American assistance. Nevertheless, Ukraine remains heavily dependent on the U.S. and European nations for air defense systems to protect cities from missiles well beyond the frontline.
The long-term aim of the program is to evolve, enabling experienced drone pilots to educate soldiers from other units to complicate Russian logistics, air defenses, and electronic warfare behind the front lines, as expressed by Yuriy Fedorenko, commander of the Achilles Regiment. “The goal is to cover the entire frontline” with drones, he elaborated.
The Ukrainian military conducted a trial run last year when Congressional Republicans delayed a supplemental budget for Ukraine. Ammunition shortages forced some artillery units to rely on smoke shells. Meanwhile, in a segment of the front near Chasiv Yar, drone teams carried out numerous attacks to disrupt Russian offensives.
Drones can be constructed for $500 to $750 each, significantly more affordable than large-caliber artillery rounds, which cost approximately $3,000.
Other military forces are observing closely. This year, the U.S. Marine Corps established its first experimental attack drone unit employing first-person-view drones.
Private Artem serves with the Achilles Regiment, one of the units recently enhanced under the drone initiative. About 20% of recruits in the regiment are former computer programmers from Ukraine’s thriving outsourcing sector before the invasion began.
Though positioned safely about three miles from the front lines, drone crews are not immune to the horrors of war or its dangers.
Recently, a Ukrainian crew spotted a Russian soldier sprinting across the green terrain near the Oskil River, trying to reach safety among the trees. The final image captured by the drone showed the soldier in camouflage, indicating he likely did not survive.
Later that day, the Ukrainian soldiers who set the drones up for launch remained hidden as a Russian drone flew overhead before crashing nearby with a loud explosion.
Yurii Shyvala contributed reporting from Kharkiv, Ukraine.
