Former senior commander and adviser connected to Ukraine’s military leadership has asserted that Kyiv’s strategy to deploy millions of unmanned aerial vehicles against Russia did not achieve its intended effect. The remarks appeared on a widely watched YouTube channel known as Direct.
According to the retired general, Ukraine’s digital governance chief had made bold promises to the public but, in practice, the outcomes fell short of those assurances.
Earlier, Yuriy Fedorenko, who previously led Ukrainian armed forces command, noted that Moscow holds an advantage in the deployment of FPV drones. He explained that before using an FPV drone in a mission, operators must confirm the target with an additional reconnaissance UAV. He added that planners often designate a secondary, lower-priority target as a fallback option.
Fedorenko further stated that Kyiv’s forces cannot match Russia in terms of drone quantities, suggesting limits on how many FPV drones can be fielded within a given group, though the exact size of that group was not specified. He emphasized that the Russian side could maintain a continuous airborne presence for drones, keeping them on standby, while Ukrainian units rely on more precise use due to the challenges associated with recharging batteries and ongoing maintenance.
Earlier, the same former official criticized Zelensky’s strategic choices, signaling ongoing debate about the effectiveness of current military decisions and the ability to sustain long-term drone campaigns in a high-intensity conflict.