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World
Ukraine has implemented a drone pilot reward system where operators earn points for neutralizing Russian forces, turning warfare into a competitive game.
A reward system in Ukraine has transformed aspects of the ongoing war into a video game-like competition, where drone pilots gain more benefits by killing higher numbers of Russian soldiers.
In recorded footage, an attack drone identifies a Russian soldier in a field in eastern Ukraine and rapidly descends toward him. The soldier only notices the drone as it approaches closely. The drone’s onboard camera, which streams video to its remote operator, captures the soldier’s panic as he raises his hands above his head and begins to run before the footage cuts off. A second video, filmed by a surveillance drone, then shows the soldier’s lifeless body lying motionless in the field.
Since the war began, both sides have regularly released videos documenting brutal and shocking combat operations. However, these drone videos were not intended for social media but were submitted to the Ukrainian government as entries in a contest among frontline drone pilots. Points and rewards are awarded to those achieving the highest scores, effectively turning combat into a shooting game, according to the Washington Post.
Ukrainian officials describe the “Drone Army” reward system, known as “ePoints,” as the only program of its kind worldwide. Units accumulate points for every Russian soldier they incapacitate or kill, as well as for destroying weapons, vehicles, or military equipment.
These points can be exchanged in an online government marketplace to purchase additional drones for targeting more Russian forces. Andriy Hrytseniuk, CEO of Brave1—the government agency that created the contest—explained, “The program’s philosophy is simple. The more you destroy, the more you get.”
The point values assigned to each target type remain confidential. However, the Russian soldier shown in the mentioned incident was reportedly infantry, a category worth 12 points, as stated last year on social media by Mykhailo Fedorov, who currently serves as defense minister.
Last month, Ukrainian drones disabled or killed over 35,200 Russian soldiers, according to Ukrainian defense officials, though Russia consistently denies these battlefield casualty figures.
These numbers partly reflect Moscow’s tactics, described by the Washington Post as “meat grinder” strategies, involving sending large numbers of troops to Ukrainian positions in hopes of weakening or overwhelming them. Russian losses typically spike sharply during autumn and winter when natural cover for soldiers diminishes.
At the same time, Ukrainian authorities doubled the points awarded for seriously wounding or killing enemy soldiers. Hrytseniuk noted, “This shift was dictated by the battlefield itself. Russian forces began pulling their equipment farther from the front line because it was being destroyed rapidly by our drones.”
He added, “Instead, they increasingly relied on infiltration tactics and small infantry groups.”
The Washington Post highlights this as evidence of how drones have altered the nature of war. Ukraine is emerging as a global leader in this new form of combat and aims to exchange its technology and strategic insights for Western military support and security guarantees.
However, analyzing Ukrainian reports of Russian casualties remains challenging. Emil Kastehelmi from Black Bird Group, a Finland-based military analysis organization, explained that these reports do not distinguish between wounded and killed Russian soldiers. It is also unclear how many of the wounded will eventually return to combat.
Kastehelmi added, “Although it is difficult to verify the extent of Russian losses, things are moving in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, Franz-Stefan Gady, an analyst at the Vienna-based Center for New American Security, cautioned against drawing premature conclusions. He stated that Russian forces “are not expanding significantly,” but also “are not noticeably shrinking in this conflict.”
