A drone ‘war is more silent and more deadly’ — and America is behind
By Tom Mutch
Dec 11, 2025, 04:00 PM
In the early days of the war, the U.S. supplied many high-tech, expensive but powerful systems that radically improved Ukraine’s battlefield fortunes. As the war has ground on, however, developing a quantity of cheap systems has become far more important. (Nikoletta Stoyanova)
KHARKIV, UKRAINE — The Vampire drone gripped two precious pieces of cargo tightly — a bomb for the Russians and a delivery of still-warm KFC for the Ukrainians in the trench next to them.
Nikoletta Stoyanova, a Ukrainian photographer, watched as the six-armed behemoth took flight before soldiers hurried her into a basement. It was the dead of night in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine, near the besieged city of Kupyansk. The city had already traded hands twice — the Russians had captured the city in the first days of the war, and the Ukrainians liberated it six months later.
Over the last year, the world’s attention has been focused on the U.S. administration’s chaotic push for a peace deal in Ukraine. The high drama of diplomacy between Trump, Putin and Zelensky has stolen the spotlight away from the gray, bloody realities on the battlefield. But the fact is that any settlement will be based on the realities on these frontlines.
It is here that the situation has been seriously deteriorating for Ukraine. The Russians, with a large advantage in manpower and munitions, are making serious advances into Ukrainian territory. New drone technology, and a lack of Western countermeasures, have aided them in slowly breaking down Ukraine’s weary troops.
https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/commentary/2025/12/11/a-drone-war-is-more-silent-and-more-deadly-and-america-is-behind/
