Before Russia’s invasion, no European military fielded more than 2,000 drones. Now, both armies are burning through up to seven million units a year. Drones have vaulted from niche gadgets to the backbone of modern warfare, and Europe is racing to catch up.
The numbers alone show an extraordinary transformation. Ukraine doubled drone output from 2.2 million in 2024 to 4.5 million in 2025. But sheer volume is only half the battle. The real race is technological; the guts of these machines are obsolete almost as soon as they roll off the line.
