Medvedev says drones change fate of war as Russia flies flag in Ukraine’s Avdiivka

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says drones are taking over the modern military landscape amid Moscow’s "special military operation" in Ukraine, urging an increase in the production of drones.

In a meeting with the commanders of Chechen units on Monday, Medvedev, Security Council Deputy Chairman, said that drones are changing people's mindset and the way they think about war.

“When the special military operation began, few people were talking about drones. There was an understanding that this war would also be fought using the classic rules of warfare from the past. However, it turned out that the world had changed and technology had changed, too,” he said.

According to Medvedev, to the surprise of almost all military strategists across the world, drones are taking over the modern military landscape and reshaping the battlefield.

“Until recently, it seemed that it’s something from a distant future, just like walking robots, apparently, it’s not: all these things are now used in combat,” he added.

He said Russia is facing “challenging tasks” which are deciding “the fate of our country.”

Medvedev stressed the need for ramping up Russia’s drone production to complement its arsenal of tanks and missiles.

In January, Russian President Vladimir Putin had said that domestically made drones were effectively performing combat missions in the special military operation zone, which used to involve attack and tactical aircraft.

Ukrainian troops leave key town of Avdiivka as Russia advances

Ukrainian troops have pulled out of the key town of Avdiivka amid the war with Russia, making it Moscow’s most significant territorial gain.

Medvedev’s remarks come as Russia announces it has taken “full control” of the key Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, making it Moscow’s most significant territorial gain since they seized the eastern city of Bakhmut last May.

The Russian military said Monday its forces had completed their takeover of the city after Ukrainian forces fled the city,,eliminating the last pocket of resistance at the eastern Ukraine city’s huge coke plant.

Kiev’s forces was driven out over the weekend as a result of the sheer weight of Russia’s troop numbers and greater firepower.

The victory comes days ahead of the two-year anniversary of Russia’s military campaign against its neighbor on February 24, 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is on a tour of Europe to secure desperately needed military aid as Kive has been heavily relied on the supply of Western weapons and ammunition.

Andrii Teren, a commander in the 110th Brigade, said on Monday that a lack of shells and manpower caused Avdiivka’s fall.

“We didn’t have enough people. We didn’t have enough shells. We didn’t have enough possibilities to throw them back. If we had had a large amount, or at least an ok amount of shells, we could have stopped the enemy. But unfortunately, we didn’t have them.”

Western countries have responded to the Russian military operation by backing Ukraine with cash and heavy weaponry.

Russia has repeatedly warned that flooding Ukraine with weapons and munitions will only prolong the war, not stopping the Russian troops from reaching their military objective in the region.

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