War transformed: drones rule Ukraine's front

A Ukrainian drone tracks our movement on the icy roads

The war in Ukraine has changed — fundamentally.

What was once trench warfare in frozen mud is now a brutal fusion of 20th-century slaughter and 21st-century technology. Movement is measured in metres, not miles. And in the shattered wastelands of the Donbas, survival is the only strategy that matters.

On the front line with Ukraine’s 117th Brigade, the reality is stark. Their mission: defend one of the most fiercely contested stretches of eastern Ukraine known as the “fortress belt.” The stakes could not be higher — not just for Ukraine, but for Europe and the wider international order.

Even reaching their positions is an ordeal. Soldiers must cross exposed ground under the constant threat of artillery and drones.

It used to be the scream of incoming shells that chilled the blood. Now it is the relentless buzz of unmanned aerial vehicles overhead. The sky is thick with them.

During our visit, a drone locked onto the unit’s movement. Handheld detectors beeped frantically. The whirring grew louder.

The deputy commander opened fire with his assault rifle. Another soldier joined him. Hitting a fast-moving drone is notoriously difficult — but it is now routine.

The drone crashed to earth. Relief lasted seconds. More could follow. Artillery might already be inbound.

The journey continued by quad bike over icy roads littered with wrecked Ukrainian vehicles. Above, friendly drones tracked their path, offering limited protection.

Inside a bunker near Sloviansk — a critical logistical hub anchoring Ukraine’s eastern defensive line — the brigade’s “drone hunter” unit operates in near secrecy. They showed a freshly downed drone: cheap, mass-produced, deadly.

Bohdan, commander of the 117th Brigade’s anti-aircraft battery, explained the shift. “There are men working with pump-action shotguns because the drones fly at their lowest altitude there,” he said. “But here, they fly higher and faster so the Kalashnikov is the most effective tool.”

The drones never stop.

In a shattered village, two civilians still endure the bombardment. Alexander and his wife have survived four years under constant shelling. They are frightened, he says, but have no money and nowhere else to go.

Even as he speaks, another drone forces everyone into cover.

One soldier summed up daily life: “It happens two, three times a day: icy roads, sleeper drones, flying drones, and the Russians. It couldn't be more dangerous. Threats from everywhere — within seconds.”

Deep in a forest, access to brigade headquarters is tightly controlled. Inside a secret underground bunker, screens glow in a maze of monitors.

Colonel Dmytro Yaroshenko, commander of the 117th Brigade, is blunt. “The war has changed fundamentally,” he says. “We used to fight ‘on horseback’, so to speak; now we fight in the sky.”

Drones now sketch digital kill chains across the battlefield. Logistics have become a nightmare. “If the enemy spots a vehicle, it's highly likely to be quickly destroyed,” the colonel warns.

Surveillance drones detect Russian troops moving in mist. Attack drones strike a bunker. No one emerges.

The First World War’s trenches have merged with microchips and algorithms. The result is relentless and unforgiving.

After four years of combat, this is no longer just a battle for territory. It is a test of whether borders can be changed by force — and what kind of world will remain when the guns fall silent.

Key Takeaways

• Ukraine’s war has “changed fundamentally” as drones dominate the battlefield.

• The 117th Brigade fights daily under constant UAV and artillery threat in the Donbas “fortress belt.”

• Commanders warn technology has transformed logistics and survival into a relentless digital kill chain.

Ukraine war has 'changed fundamentally', commander says, as trench fighting fuses with 21st century