Drones in Ukraine (2022–2025): A Comprehensive Report
By late 2023, nearly every Ukrainian combat brigade had integrated drones, with dedicated UAV units for surveillance, artillery spotting, and attack missions. Small off-the-shelf DJI Mavic quadcopters, priced around $1,500–$3,000, were widely used for frontline reconnaissance and artillery correction. FPV kamikaze drones cost as little as $400–$500 to assemble and have been linked to a large share of Russian losses, with estimates of 60–80%. UkrJet’s UJ-22 has an 800 km range for long-range strikes, while Antonov’s Lyuty reportedly has a 750 km range and a sub-$200,000 price per unit. By end-2024 Ukraine conducted the world’s first fully unmanned joint attack