World‘Escalatory spiral of attrition’: Drone technology lets Ukraine resist Russia asymmetrically

Peter Zalmayev, director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative, rejects claims that Moscow has only recently begun to “take the gloves off” in Ukraine. He argues that Russia has consistently pursued maximalist objectives while changing tactics to match battlefield conditions. Ukrainian innovation, especially in drone warfare, has made Russia’s military superiority more difficult to use. But Zalmayev maintains that technological ingenuity cannot permanently overcome the broader pressures of the conflict.