On June 17, 2026, Karina Zinyak, an intern (Spain and Latin America Cooperation Program) co-authored an article with Politicly (an Argentine digital outlet specializing in political science and International Relations) about where the drone revolution in Ukraine really came from. Zinyak and Politicly’s co-authors explained the origins of drone use and how it did not begin with the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Its roots go back to 2014, when Ukrainian soldiers and civil society organizations began independently purchasing Chinese commercial drones to monitor enemy positions and map minefields in the east of the country. That early, decentralized adaptation laid the cultural and organizational groundwork without which the industrial-scale drone warfare seen today would not have been possible.
They focused on explaining something that is often overlooked: a significant share of Ukraine’s drone production did not stem from state contracts or Western military aid, but from civil society. Volunteer organizations – funded almost exclusively by civilian donations – and soldiers working from their own workshops played a major role. Most notably, they highlighted gamers as a strategic resource: young people with video game experience often learn to pilot drones faster than other profiles. Spatial awareness, hand-eye coordination, and the ability to sustain concentration – developed in digital environments – translate directly into drone combat.
In addition, in 2024 Ukraine formalized what had emerged organically from the bottom up: the Unmanned Systems Forces, the world’s first military branch dedicated exclusively to drone operations. The case illustrates a dynamic that highly centralized states can hardly replicate. Russia created its equivalent force in 2025, but while Ukraine’s institutionalization was driven by civil society, Russia made the decision through the state apparatus in a highly hierarchical and centralized manner.
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