Each month, the Russians lose up to 25,000 killed and wounded.
The Ukrainian government has introduced a "gaming" reward system in which drone units are awarded points for successful attacks and enemy kills, and the points earned can be used to purchase Ukrainian gear through the internal arms shop Brave1 Market. Ukrainian officials claim that this competition helps maintain soldiers' motivation, The New York Times reports.
"Wounded a Russian soldier? Eight points. Killed one? That’s enough for 12. A Russian drone pilot is worth more: 15 points for a wound and 25 points for a kill. Capturing a live Russian soldier with a drone is a jackpot: 120 points," the publication writes.
Moreover, the more points a unit accumulates, the better equipment it can purchase, ensuring that resources are directed to the teams that use them most effectively. This is an instant version of traditional awards for soldiers, such as medals and promotions, in the digital age, providing immediate gratification, with winnings going towards military needs, NYT writes.
"It helps us stop the enemy," said Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation. "If this gives additional motivation to our military, we will be happy to support this program."
More than 400 drone teams are participating in the competition. Some infantry units that did not have full-fledged drone units created them to be able to use the points system and receive gear, soldiers reported.
In the contest, points are awarded for hits on both Russian soldiers and their equipment. Destroying a Russian multiple launch rocket system can earn up to 70 points. Destroying a tank brings 40 points; damaging a tank earns 20.
"These days, spotting enemy equipment is a rare occurrence," said a drone pilot with the call sign Red, who reported 45 confirmed kills. "And if one appears, for example, out of the forest, it is essentially met by a whole line of drones ready to attack it."
Yuriy Fedorenko, commander of the Achilles regiment, stated that Ukrainian soldiers have to kill or seriously wound up to 25,000 Russian soldiers a month. This is about the same number of recruits that Russia mobilizes monthly, he added.
For this, Ukraine needs at least two strike drones for each Russian infantryman, or at least 50,000 a month, Fedorenko said.
We Argued in Chats Over Points
Both commanders and soldiers say they are already motivated to destroy Russian equipment and kill Russian soldiers. "We are focused on destroying the enemy, on real targets, on completing the mission," said a drone commander with the call sign Stan. "We go where we are needed, not chasing points."
But they said the competition can be motivating, stimulating competition among drone operators to be the first to hit a target on the battlefield.
"Of course, there have been times when we argued in chats over points," Stan said. "For example, when a vehicle was shot down, and several units attacked it, we argued about who made the hit," he added. "We said: 'That was our target! Don’t touch it!', 'We hit it first!', 'We did it!'
There are still shortcomings — after all, the system is new. Some unit commanders said that new drones arrived too slowly, and some soldiers complained that they destroyed valuable Russian equipment that was not worth any points.
War in Ukraine - News
As Le Figaro reports, simultaneous crises on several fronts from Kupiansk to the eastern part of Dnipropetrovsk indicate the growing exhaustion of the Ukrainian army, which lacks the strength to hold back the Russians on all critical sections.
Thus, a senior officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the Pokrovsk direction reported that the Russians already control about 60% of Pokrovsk and are actively penetrating into neighboring Rodinske and Myrnohrad.
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