Signal Ukraine produces over 4.5 million drones in 2025 as UAVs drive most casualties

Summary

The Russia-Ukraine war is described by Eurasia Group as the testing ground for drone warfare. Unmanned aerial vehicles now cause about 70% of battlefield casualties there. Both sides can make millions of drones a year, and Ukrainian factories alone produced more than 4.5 million in 2025. Operations using self-guided drones sent up from rail wagons have struck targets hundreds of miles away, although Ukraine's early edge has narrowed as Russia adapted. The report says the lessons are spreading worldwide, with rebels in Myanmar copying Ukrainian designs and fighters from Latin America training in Ukraine.