(Institute for the Study of War)
Russia’s use of first-person view (FPV) drones to strike mainly civilian targets in the Ukrainian near rear is indicative of a pervasive culture within the Russian Armed Forces that seeks to both weaponize and institutionalize intentional civilian harm as a purposeful tool of war.
Russian drone adaptations and innovations increase the potential for civilian harm and blur the traditional lines between military and civilian targets.
The tactics and practices that Russia is developing through its widespread use of FPV drone strikes on civilian targets in near-rear areas are exportable and may be easily recreated by other malign actors in both state and non-state actor conflicts and are likely to fundamentally shape the interplay between military operations and civilian life in future wars.
Russia’s Drone Campaign Uses Civilian Harm as Tool of War | ISW
