A system that organizes drone attacks that mimic video game logic has become popular among Ukrainian military units. This was explained by Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov Guardian Which extends to reconnaissance, artillery and logistics operations.
The Army Drone Bounty System operates as a competition in which different teams receive points for killing or wounding Russian soldiers. In August, 95 teams participated, and in September there were already 400 teams, according to Ukrainian authorities. In September, 18,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded as a result of this mechanism.
The system was launched more than a year ago to reward soldiers who succeed in their attacks with points. Points can in turn be redeemed for more weapons at Brave1, an Amazon-style online store specializing in weapons, where more than 100 different drones, autonomous vehicles, and drone warfare materials are offered.
The teams of Achilles and Phoenix top the rankings of this system, a clear example of the increasing automation of war. “It has become very popular among units,” explains Fedorov. He adds: “All the defense forces know this and are competing for points, to get drones and electronic warfare systems and everything that helps them in the war. The more infantry you take out, the more drones you have to take out more infantry. It has become a kind of vicious circle.”
More points, more losses
In September 2025, the number of Russian casualties was twice that of October 2024. This was partly due to a change in priorities on the battlefield as a result of Kiev’s decision to double the reward for killing Russian infantrymen: it rose from six points to 12 points.
Ukrainian spy services believe Russia may also develop its own system of incentives for soldiers to compete.
Ukraine expanded the system to include artillery units, also with the incentive that points earned by artillerymen could be exchanged for new weapons. In reconnaissance units, points are gained by locating enemy targets; And in logistics teams, by resupplying the front with autonomous vehicles not driven by humans.
The Ukrainian military is also encouraging the use of drones that are partly controlled by artificial intelligence that recommends target selection and control of the drone in the final moments of its path to increase the accuracy of attacks, according to Fedorov.
The recognition units score points for what it calls “Uber goals,” referring to the app Transportation. “Basically, they put a marker on the map, like you would when you order a taxi on an Uber map, but instead of the taxi, what gets to that target is a drone from another unit,” Fedorov says.
The expansion of this points system comes despite warnings discouraging NATO countries from relying excessively on drones. Russian defenses against unmanned vehicles have improved significantly. Experts from the British defense research institute, the Royal United Services Institute, have recently drawn attention to the need to return to conventional aircraft and artillery.
There is hardly any emotional reflection here, it is like a work of art
Mykhailo Fedorov
— Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine
In addition to doubling the points for killing Russian infantrymen, killing an enemy drone operator now awards 25 points. Using a drone to capture a Russian soldier carries a reward of 120 points, which demonstrates Ukraine’s need to obtain prisoners of war to negotiate with Moscow.
Putting a price on human lives
The distribution of points is determined by the Ukrainian government. According to Federov, its members have become “extremely callous” when it comes to setting a price on human lives. “We have been at war for four years in a row, and it is difficult,” he says. He adds: “We are just looking for ways to achieve efficiency, and we consider it part of our daily work. There is hardly any emotional reflection here, it is like a work of art. If you do not stop the enemy, he will kill your soldiers, and once they are dead, he will reach the city and occupy it, destroy it, and kill civilians.”
Ukrainian drone operators are sometimes 250 meters from the front. Other times they are three kilometers away, sitting in dugouts and directing attacks in front of computer screens, sometimes using video game controllers.
Achilles, one of the ten most successful drone regiments, operates in the Donetsk region and the eastern part of the Kharkiv region. According to their commander, Yuri Fedorenko, the best pilots are not necessarily video game experts. “Disciplined people are the best pilots,” he says. “Of course, if you are younger, you can stay awake longer and need less to regain your strength, but if a person is disciplined, they will be good at operating drones.”
Fedorenko downplays the idea that the regime turns war into a game. He says that sometimes orders are to destroy low-lying targets because that is necessary to achieve an immediate battle objective. “First and foremost, we have to get the job done, because this is war,” he says. “That’s what we do, not looking for points.”
“The whole unit is in competition,” says Andrei Poltoratsky, who is also the commander of the drone unit. “Drone operators compete with each other, every group of drone operators competes with other groups, even the senior leaders compete with each other.”
In Poltoratsky’s opinion, it is more healthy competition than fun. He points out that once the Russians launch an attack, “the competition stops and everyone works together” in the mission that best protects the lives of Ukrainians, regardless of the points at hand.
The points-for-kill system has provided Ukraine with a wealth of data to “better understand the mathematics of war,” explains Fedorov. “Thanks to these points, we are beginning to better understand what is happening on the battlefield,” he says. “To earn points, drone units must upload confirmation videos so we understand which targets are being hit, where they are being hit relative to the line of communication, as well as the drones and media being used.”
“This way we see what is most effective and what is least effective,” he adds. “Everyone sees the ranking, so units are starting to come together to learn from each other; those at the top are teaching and paving the way for those who are still growing and developing; it’s bottom-up innovation.”
Translated by Francisco de Zarate
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