Ukraine can kill a Russian for every $20,000 spent on drones: Commander

• A Ukrainian drone commander says his unit can use $100 million to carry out 5,000 lethal strikes, according to the Atlantic.
• That’s about $20,000 spent on killing for Russian forces over the course of a year, according to the commander’s figures.
• It’s his argument for how the West can benefit financially from supporting Ukraine.

A commander of a Ukrainian drone unit hopes to convince the US to continue sending aid to Kiev by showing how effective supporting the war effort can be for the West, The Atlantic reported.

In an article published Monday, the magazine’s Karl Marlantes and Elliot Ackerman wrote that a drone commander with the 92nd Assault Brigade showed them presentation slides about the cost of the trailing munitions used by his team.

The main finding was that, on average, for every $20,000 spent on its unit, Ukraine could record one kill by Russian forces.

Here’s how the math works. According to The Atlantic writers, the commander’s slides said a $100 million drone unit could stay on the battlefield for an entire year, delivering 5,000 lethal strikes.

The commander, nicknamed “Achille”, posited that such cheapness would be an advantage for Western leaders hoping to contain Russia and thereby undermine threats from China and Iran.

For context, the US spends about $3,000 making a 155mm unguided shell, which is one of the most widely used artillery munitions in warfare. A GPS-guided shell — including those supplied to Ukraine — could cost as much as $100,000 per round, according to government figures released this year on 2022 arms spending.

Switchblade, the lethal drone used by the US military, costs about $58,000 each on paper. Some, such as defense writer David Hambling, estimate that its real price is probably around $80,000 apiece when factoring in preparation and extra parts.

According to The Atlantic, “Achilles” hopes his argument can help US leaders believe that more support for Ukraine makes financial sense.

The commander is based in Kharkiv, according to his Telegram channel, which publishes clips of his drones attacking Russian forces and equipment.

Ukraine has long said it relies heavily on Western aid to defend itself against Russia and needs much more to win the war.

But there are fears that Washington’s equipment donations will not last as the conflict drags on and as Capitol Hill’s collective political will to support Kiev wanes. President Joe Biden signed an executive agreement in June pledging to support Ukraine for 10 years, but it’s the kind of deal that can be rescinded by any future president.

Presidential candidate Donald Trump has openly voiced his disdain for fueling Ukraine’s struggle, saying he would prefer to strike a deal with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, aid to Ukraine fell to its lowest level since the start of the war in December 2023, although the Biden administration has since announced several aid packages totaling at least $16 billion.

In February, Ukraine’s then-military chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, called for a shift in mindset away from reliance on Western aid and instead toward cheap drones.

“We have to contend with a reduction in military support from key allies while dealing with their own political tensions,” wrote Zaluzhnyi, who at the time was facing rumors that he would be fired. He was replaced a few days later by Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Meanwhile, Kiev has sought to bridge the gap by ramping up its domestic defense manufacturing industry, producing its own missiles, artillery systems and drones.

Quantity, not quality, was the focus of drone production, Ukrainian Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin told Business Insider’s Jake Epstein in July.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that the country is now capable of producing 4 million drones a year.