The Economist: The Ukrainian Armed Forces Use Video Game Technology To Destroy Occupiers On The Frontline
1- 10.07.2025, 12:50
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This resulted in a doubling of Russian infantry casualties.
The war in Ukraine has become a center of military innovation. One of them is the use of "video game incentives" to improve the effectiveness of the armed forces in fighting a Russian invasion. This is reported by The Economist.
"The system ensures that successful drone operators get new drones before their less effective counterparts. The process is now being modernized through what Mikhail Fedorov, Ukraine's minister of digital transformation, has called 'Amazon for the military' - a scheme that allows units to buy combat equipment with points earned for destroying Russian vehicles and other targets," the piece explained."
It is noted that the term "gamification," which emerged in the early 2000s, is used in many fields, namely from healthcare and customer loyalty programs to education and workplace productivity.
"Participants score points; leaderboards, progress indicators, levels and badges are commonly used. In some cases, points can be converted into rewards beyond the enjoyment of 'winning' as defined by the game," the publication emphasized.
Gamification appeared in drone warfare in August 2024, when the government's drone acquisition initiative Drone Army launched a system of "bonuses."
"Drone warfare lends itself well to gamification because all kills are captured by the same drone cameras used to fly aircraft, and there is already a system in place to record them. (In other forms of combat, claims may be exaggerated - combatants may not know the results of a mortar round.) Once a drone kill is logged, identified and confirmed, it earns a certain number of points depending on the military value of the object destroyed," The Economist noted.
This means that a drone operator who destroys a T-90M tank with a disposable drone would receive enough points for his unit to get 15 more drones. Such a system incentivizes operators to seek out high-value targets.
At the same time, the publication writes, despite Ukraine producing 1.5 million drones last year, there are never enough of them.
The 414th Separate Brigade of Unmanned Systems, better known as the "Magyar Birds," in particular, has effectively implemented the system. According to official data, the brigade is now responsible for 8% of Russian armored vehicles that Ukraine has destroyed.
"In April, the unit rose to the top of the ranking with 16,298 points, moving up from second place, and has remained there ever since," the material added.
As Mikhail Fedorov noted, gamification also shapes the nature of combat operations. According to him, the "Drone Army" recently increased the number of points for eliminating an enemy infantryman from two to six. Because of this, units such as Magyar Birds immediately began killing more infantrymen.
Fedorov said this led to a doubling of Russian infantry casualties.
"A more recent change doubled the number of points for eliminating Russian drone operators, making them more valuable targets than tanks. Such changes show how the system can change to suit commanders' priorities. They also led to a reduction in the number of tanks destroyed," The Economist noted.