The role of drones in war and prospects of ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine

In a special interview with The Economist, Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, discussed the key role of drones in the combat operations of the Ukrainian Security and Defense Forces. In addition, he made important remarks about the possibility of an "escalation risk" due to the intensification of shelling by Russia.

Budanov emphasized the importance of drones in operations to liberate Ukrainian territories, noting that these devices do not feel fear and do not need protection. According to him, the use of attack drones has several goals, including the depletion of Russia's air defense systems, disabling military equipment, damaging the Russian military-industrial complex, creating psychological impact among the Russian population and disrupting economic processes in the country.

Kyrylo Budanov noted that Ukraine seeks to take Russians out of their comfort zone and rejects the possibility of escalation, pointing to the example of the United Kingdom and the United States, which bombed the territory of Germany during World War II but were not considered aggressors.

The DIU chief emphasized that various types of weapons, including submarines and strategic aviation, have already been used during the Russian-Ukrainian war, and thus there are no objective grounds for fears of escalation.

Budanov emphasized that historically, war has been a constant for Russia, and it is not realistic to hope that Moscow will voluntarily cease hostilities. He urged caution and not to expect the conflict to be resolved by winning a parade in Moscow.

The DIU chief also said that Ukraine is preparing for possible attacks on energy facilities by the occupiers in winter and autumn and intends to respond to such actions. He noted that the Russian army currently has no strategic reserve, and Russia's resources to continue the war could be exhausted within two to three years.

Despite this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine does not use Western weapons to strike Russia, but reserves the right to attack facilities if Russia uses them for aggressive actions against Ukraine.