A $300 drone can blow up a tank or other combat vehicle that a 3 million USD or more one. This is the viewpoint of Ukrainian proponents of drone development, and it suggests the center of a revolution in technology currently remapping the Ukraine-Russia war.

The same data networks that enable phone apps and web surfing help drones navigate, so officials are imposing daily, patchwork shutdowns. The actions can be very disruptive to daily life.

Russia has repeatedly shattered its own records for aerial assaults on Ukraine this summer, culminating in a peak attack on July 9 with the launch of 728 Shahed-type drones. Throughout the war, Russia steadily expanded the reach and intensity of its strikes on Ukrainian cities,