What Ukraine can teach Europe and the world about innovation in modern warfare

President Trump’s suspension of US military aid to Ukraine underscores the urgent need for Europe to absorb the lessons from Ukraine’s war.

Expert comment Published 5 March 2025 4 minute READ

Joyce Hakmeh

Deputy Director, International Security Programme; Co-Editor, Journal of Cyber Policy

Ukraine’s war effort has become a case study in how necessity fuels innovation. In the face of a far larger and better-equipped adversary, Ukraine has built a defence-tech ecosystem that is reshaping the rules of modern combat. 

Ukraine’s success in this is not just about resilience or patriotism but about the ability to adapt, decentralize and leverage new technologies faster than its opponent. Nowhere is this more evident than in the country’s approach to drone warfare, where rapid development and deployment have allowed Ukraine to strike deep behind enemy lines and disrupt conventional military calculations.

While it might be tempting to view Ukraine’s success in military resistance as proof that smaller nations can challenge larger adversaries without massive defence budgets, the reality is more complex. 

Technology alone does not win wars; the ability to innovate quickly, integrate private-sector expertise and field solutions at scale is what shifts the balance of power. 

Ukraine offers a lesson in adaptation, one that Europe cannot afford to ignore: President Donald Trump’s suspension this week of US military aid to Ukraine underscores the urgent need for Europe to take responsibility for its own defence.

The drone revolution and Ukraine’s strategic edge

Drones have become one of Ukraine’s most powerful tools in countering Russia’s superior numbers and resources. Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has built a thriving domestic drone industry, with contributions from more than 500 manufacturers and production figures reaching into the millions. This has given Kyiv an unprecedented ability to field cheap, expendable, yet highly effective unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for reconnaissance, strikes and electronic warfare.

The ability to quickly test, iterate and deploy solutions has given Ukraine an edge over Russia’s more centralized, bureaucratic defence-industrial complex

Ukraine’s approach to drone warfare is challenging conventional thinking about military technology. Rather than relying on expensive, highly sophisticated systems, it has prioritized affordability, adaptability and scale. 

Many of its drones, often built from commercially available components, cost as little as $300 to $1,000 each yet they are capable of disabling armoured vehicles or disrupting enemy supply lines with precision. 

AI-enhanced models, designed to operate without GPS, have been used to evade Russian jamming systems and strike targets more than 1,000 kilometres away. This rapid development has been made possible by Ukraine’s agile and decentralized approach to defence innovation, where start-ups, engineers and even volunteer groups play a key role in military adaptation. 

The ability to quickly test, iterate and deploy solutions has given Ukraine an edge over Russia’s more centralized, bureaucratic defence-industrial complex, which struggles to adapt as rapidly to new battlefield realities.

Technology alone is not enough

While drones and other advanced technologies have allowed Ukraine to challenge Russia in unexpected ways, they have not replaced the need for traditional military power. Ukraine has not leapfrogged conventional warfare but rather complemented it with an adaptive technological strategy.

Russia has responded by ramping up its own drone production and countermeasures. Iranian-made Shahed drones have been deployed in large numbers against Ukrainian infrastructure. And Russian forces have quickly adapted to Ukraine’s tactics, mass-producing their own FPV (first-person-view) attack drones. Despite Western sanctions, Russia’s defence industry has managed to scale up production, leveraging both domestic resources and external suppliers.

Ukraine’s advantage has not been in the individual technologies it has deployed, but in its ability to regularly outpace Russia in the innovation cycle.

The lesson here is clear: technological advantages in warfare are temporary. The side that can adapt and scale its innovations the fastest will have the upper hand. Ukraine’s advantage has not been in the individual technologies it has deployed, but in its ability to regularly outpace Russia in the innovation cycle. It is a model that other countries must study if they hope to maintain military readiness in the 21st century.

Government as an enabler, not a bottleneck

A key reason for Ukraine’s success in defence innovation has been the role of its government in enabling, rather than controlling, the process. Instead of relying solely on traditional procurement systems, Ukraine has fostered a public–private partnership that accelerates the deployment of new technologies.

Ukraine’s experience demonstrates the value in governments cultivating agile innovation ecosystems to respond to evolving threats in real time.

A major initiative has been BRAVE1, a government-led defence-tech cluster launched in 2023 to streamline cooperation between start-ups, engineers and military units. It has allowed Ukraine’s front-line forces to provide real-time feedback to developers, ensuring that new technologies are battlefield-tested and refined at record speed.

The Ukrainian government has also cut red tape and offered tax incentives to encourage the growth of defence start-ups, leading to the emergence of more than 200 new munitions companies since the full-scale invasion began. It has taken steps to institutionalize unmanned systems, including the creation of a dedicated drone warfare branch within the Ukrainian military – a move that formalizes the role of drones as a core element of Ukraine’s defence strategy.

This approach contrasts sharply with the top-down military procurement models prevalent in much of Europe and the US, where bureaucratic hurdles often delay the adoption of new technologies. Such procurement cycles are vital for oversight and long-term planning, but Ukraine’s experience demonstrates the value in governments cultivating agile innovation ecosystems to respond to evolving threats in real time.

The challenge for Europe: will it adapt in time?

Europe has shown that it can respond effectively to emergencies when necessary – COVID-19 being a prime example, where governments and the private sector collaborated at an unprecedented scale to develop vaccines, streamline supply chains and implement crisis measures. But waiting for a crisis to force adaptation is a dangerous gamble in an era of rapid geopolitical change.

President Trump’s approach to US security commitments is accelerating shifts in NATO dynamics. At the same time, the threat of further Russian aggression remains an urgent challenge. 

Both reinforce the need for Europe to boost defence capabilities and military preparedness. If European defence policy remains stuck in slow-moving procurement processes and rigid strategic planning, it risks being unprepared for the next test.

The Ukrainian experience suggests that speed, agility and whole-of-society engagement are the real determinants of modern military readiness. 

Ukraine has shown that smaller nations can challenge larger adversaries in key areas of military technology if they move faster, innovate constantly and integrate the private sector into their defence strategy. However, it has also shown that technological advantages are fleeting unless they are paired with sustained investment and a willingness to adapt.

The time to act is now

Ukraine’s war effort offers a blueprint for military adaptation and invaluable insights into the future of warfare. The lesson is not that defence budgets are irrelevant, but that military power in the 21st century is about more than just money – it is about speed, adaptability and the ability to integrate technological advancements rapidly into battlefield strategy. Europe – and the rest of the world – must choose to absorb these lessons now.