NATO Must Learn from Ukraine’s Frontline Drone Labs

Russian drone incursions mark an acceleration in the Kremlin's hybrid war on the West. NATO members should study Ukraine's frontline labs to prepare for what comes next.

Source: 427th Separate Regiment of Unmanned Systems "RAROG"

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has radically changed the understanding of modern warfare. Aviation no longer has absolute control of the air, and advanced tanks and armored vehicles have had their vulnerability exposed by relatively inexpensive unmanned systems. 

And over three-and-a-half years of war, the Ukrainian army, inferior to the Russians in terms of mobilization and resources, has had to embrace asymmetric solutions, flexibility, and ingenuity, in particular by using drones in the air and at sea. That has required the establishment of drone labs and workshops close to the fighting forces. 

Today, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) on both sides have led to the creation of “kill zones” — areas of 10km-20km (6-12 miles) where equipment or personnel are regularly destroyed. It is clear that a big part of future warfare involves drones. 

After the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian units independently researched and perfected new ways of using UAVs in combat conditions, moving from simple observation to delivering ammunition and refining fire.  

“We adjusted artillery strikes with a drone, while our other soldiers used maps. Then we compared the results, and the difference was very significant,” says Ivan, deputy commander of 59 Separate Assault Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. “That was our first serious experience with drones in 2022. Later, we started using them to drop ammunition.”  

Since then, innovation has driven the development of military technology, and the cycle for creating new models, or modernizing existing ones, has been cut to three to four months or even less.  

A vital role in the process is played by front-line drone workshop-laboratories, where UAVs are tested, repaired, improved, and sometimes created in accordance with the needs of the front line.  

“We are the first to identify problems and understand what the front line needs. We are also the first to test new ideas and find solutions,” says Platon, head of the workshop of the Brigade’s 1 Battalion. “The main purpose is to ensure combat readiness.” 

Such drone laboratories have proved their effectiveness, which is why virtually every Ukrainian unit now has its own frontline version so drone crews can concentrate on combat rather than maintenance and adaptation of UAVs. 

“The larger the unit, the more specialized workshops it can afford,” says Andriy Khoma, commander of the special-purpose unmanned systems unit. “In particular, one unit may have a workshop that specializes exclusively in First-Person View [FPV], Mavic reconnaissance drones, or heavy bombers.” 

The workshop-laboratories shorten the repair and renewal cycle, allowing rapid testing and implementation of tactical innovations without long delays in supply. And their proximity to combat operations means they can better serve the ever-changing demands of the war. 

“Being close to the front-line forces us to constantly improve our technology. Since the contact line is dynamic, radio frequencies change quickly: some are working today, but tomorrow the enemy starts jamming them,” Khoma says. “The front-line workshop allows us to quickly reconfigure the drones and maintain their combat capability in such conditions.” 

And they have had a dramatic impact on combat. Before the workshops were established, the effectiveness of FPV missions for Khoma’s units was around 30%, but after they were set up, that figure reached 70%.  

Ukrainian units have also been helped by the decentralization of procurement introduced by the government last year. Unit commanders can now quickly and independently order the necessary equipment — from drones and ground-based robotic systems to electronic warfare equipment and motor vehicles — to match the needs of their units.  

European Union (EU) and NATO capitals have already expressed interest in this unique Ukrainian approach, according to Colonel Pavlo Palisa, who is responsible for implementing the program as deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.  

The program has enabled defense manufacturers to adapt to front-line needs, as commanders promptly relay information to producers, who then design drones or electronic warfare systems according to their requirements or innovations.  

Small front-line workshops are also able to adapt and integrate new ideas faster than larger enterprises, giving Ukraine a better chance of keeping ahead of an enemy also constantly updating its weapons systems and looking for new technological solutions. 

But technology is not all that matters; it is people who transform the advantage into operational effectiveness. Unmanned systems units are currently very popular among those wishing to join Ukraine’s Armed Forces.  

And since most people who apply to join the Unmanned Systems Forces have to learn everything from scratch, the main requirements for recruits are motivation, a desire for self-improvement, and discipline.  

“Technology is a tool of power, but the key solution always depends on a human being,” says Major Olga Melyoshina, spokesperson for the Unmanned Systems Forces Command. “It is the analyst-reconnaissance officer, commander, and operator who completes the cycle of detection — decision, strike, adaptation to electronic warfare, terrain, and weather conditions, and takes into account the risks for civilians.”  

In modern warfare, unmanned systems and anti-drone weapons shape new combat tactics, create kill zones, and change the balance of power. The Ukrainian army has accumulated unique practical experience in high-tech warfare through technical solutions, rapid testing and implementation cycles, frontline workshops, and decentralized procurement.  

For NATO, and the US in particular, it is an opportunity not only to take an interest in certain “models,” but also to cooperate with the Ukrainian military, learn from their experience, and study their operational logic.  

The Kremlin is already dialing up its use of unmanned systems in an accelerated campaign of hybrid aggression against European countries that began in September, so exchanging tactics and joint programs with Ukraine would be smart.  

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By Serhii Kuzan. Serhii Kuzan is a military and political expert and chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center (USCC,) having served as an adviser to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (2022-2023) and to the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (2014). Article first time published on CEPA web page. Prepared for publication by volunteers from the Res Publica - The Center for Civil Resistance.