NATO armies are not ready for modern warfare – Ukrainian commander
Photo: Vadym Sukharevskyi (Getty Images)
The armed forces of NATO countries are not prepared for modern warfare involving drones. For the past three years, Kyiv has been striving to stay ahead of the enemy by using artificial intelligence, deploying more ground drones, and testing lasers to shoot down UAVs, Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi, Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Unmanned Systems Forces, says in an interview with Reuters.
"From what I see and hear, not a single NATO army is ready to resist the cascade of drones," Sukharevskyi said.
Ukrainian commander emphasized that NATO should recognize the economic advantage of drones, which are often much cheaper to produce than the conventional weapons needed to destroy them.
"It's just elementary mathematics. How much does a missile that shoots down a (Russian - ed.) Shahed (drone - ed.) cost? And how much does it cost to deploy a ship, a plane, and an air defense system to fire at it?" Ukrainian military noted.
Long-range drones can cost as little as a few thousand dollars for the simplest decoy models, while Shahed strike drones are estimated to cost tens of thousands. In contrast, air defense interceptor missiles are usually priced in the six- or seven-figure range in US dollars, and many countries maintain only limited stockpiles, making their use economically inefficient.
Sukharevskyi’s remarks come as some NATO members in Europe increase their defense spending to prepare for war, should the conflict in Ukraine drag on or escalate. With US and European support for Ukraine fluctuating, these efforts have intensified.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, there has been a vast expansion in drone use.
Ukraine reports that in 2024, it produced approximately 2.2 million small FPV drones, and about 100,000 larger, long-range drones. Previously, Russia estimated it would produce 1.4 million FPV drones in the same year.
"Right now, even the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine says that more than 60% of targets are destroyed by drones. The only question is how the tactics of their use will develop, and, following on from that, the technological aspect," said Sukharevskyi.
Situation on battlefield
Russian attacks, often involving hundreds of drones, have become common in Ukraine. They are conducted by Iranian-designed Shahed strike drones and cheaper, less reliable decoy models, which aim to deplete Ukraine’s limited air defense missile stockpiles.
Ukraine is countering these threats with pickup trucks armed with machine guns, military aviation, and other innovative approaches, such as using FPV interceptor drones and laser weapons.
Sukharevskyi revealed that Ukraine has successfully shot down fixed-wing drones during laser weapon tests and is working to deploy these systems in combat, though he did not specify a timeline.
Ukrainian units are now using a mothership drone that can carry two FPV drones up to 70 km (43 miles), and then act as a relay station for their communication.
On the ground, thousands of unmanned ground vehicles are in operation, reducing the need for soldiers in dangerous logistics and combat zones.
Both sides of the war have heavily employed electronic warfare to jam drone communication signals, rendering traditional drones ineffective.
This has led to the rise of autonomous targeting drones, which use AI to lock onto targets after being directed by a pilot via a camera.
Sukharevskyi estimates that at least half of Ukraine’s advanced drone units already use such systems, and eventually, most combat drones will rely on AI targeting.
Sukharevskyi believes at least half of Ukraine's frontline drone units are now using such systems to some degree, and that the majority of drones in combat would eventually end up using this system.
Ukrainian commander also admits that Ukraine cannot fully meet its drone strike units' ammunition needs, as these are usually supplied separately. However, he did not provide further details.
At the same time, some Ukrainian military units have begun producing their own ammunition, with one brigade reportedly manufacturing 6,000 to 10,000 munitions per month.
"If it wasn’t for drones, everything would be a lot worse. UAVs are the things which allow us to give an asymmetrical response (when - ed.) the enemy is larger, stronger, and on the attack," Sukharevskyi responds.
Ukraine was the first country in the world to establish an independent Unmanned Systems Force within its army. According to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s drones have already struck targets 1,700 km deep into Russian territory.
