The challenge is that Russia has China’s industrial backing, allowing it to scale more effectively than Ukraine. China produces 80 percent of the world’s fiber-optic supply. Russia has far more state finances to allow the purchasing of these supplies, while Ukraine still heavily relies on volunteers to drive some of these efforts .

President Putin flew by helicopter into a Ukrainian drone attack last week, in an apparent close call that illustrates the fast-changing face of the Russia-Ukraine war. On a flight to Kursk region, bordering Ukraine,

Drones have become a game-changer in the Russia-Ukraine War—so much so that they could potentially transform Ukraine into a defense powerhouse in Europe, according to one Northeastern University observer.