Ukraine's Cheap Drones vs. Russia's Expensive Air Defense

Ukraine is exploiting a mismatch in cost. Each drone it builds costs far less than each missile Russia fires to shoot it down. In June 2026, Ukraine launched 419 drones; Russia intercepted 95 percent, but roughly 20 still hit targets. For Russia, this math is exhausting: it depletes missiles faster than factories can replace them, especially with sanctions limiting supplies.