The Guardian· Europe
Game of drones: inside the 7 August Guardian Weekly
Behind the scenes with Ukraine’s sky commanders. Plus: Chaos on the streets of CeutaGet the Guardian Weekly delivered to your home addressWhen Vladimir Putin sent his tanks over the Ukrainian border to seize Kyiv in February 2022, it’s unlikely he evisaged the mess he finds himself in today. Four-and-a-half years later, Russia remains bogged down in what is no longer simply a ground war but one in
Published Wednesday, 5 August 2026 at 17:00

Behind the scenes with Ukraine’s sky commanders. Plus: Chaos on the streets of CeutaGet the Guardian Weekly delivered to your home addressWhen Vladimir Putin sent his tanks over the Ukrainian border to seize Kyiv in February 2022, it’s unlikely he evisaged the mess he finds himself in today. Four-and-a-half years later, Russia remains bogged down in what is no longer simply a ground war but one increasingly being fought in the air by drones.After years of nightly attacks from Russian ballistic missiles and Iranian-designed Shahed drones, Ukraine has responded by scaling up to become the world’s leading manufacturer of unmanned systems. Its retaliatory campaign targeting Russian energy and retail infrastructure is bringing the war to the doorsteps of Russians in Moscow, Crimea and beyond, making life distinctly uncomfortable for Putin and his regime’s messaging over a “special military operation” that was expected to last days rather than years. Continue reading...
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