'Russia suffering 1,000 casualties a day, 80% from drones': Rishi Sunak writes after meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Times of India
by TOI WORLD DESKFebruary 22, 2026
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Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Russia is suffering approximately 1,000 daily soldier casualties, with drones responsible for the majority of these losses. This stark figure underscores how drone warfare has transformed the conflict into a high-tech stalemate, where attrition and surveillance dominate over territorial gains. Sunak highlighted that Zelenskyy uses real-time battlefield data on an iPad during diplomatic trips to counter perceptions of Ukraine being overwhelmed, emphasizing the intensity and costliness of Russia's advances since 2022.
The war has evolved into a protracted contest of endurance, marked by heavy casualties and long-range strikes. Drones have become the defining weapon, enabling Ukraine to inflict significant damage on Russian forces despite Moscow's advantages in manpower and conventional weapons. Experts note that drones can destroy expensive targets like tanks and strategic bombers at a fraction of the cost, creating what military planners call a "denial battlefield" where detecting and destroying enemy forces is easier than advancing or holding ground.
This shift has slowed the war to a grinding stalemate, with constant surveillance and precision strikes making large maneuvers increasingly difficult. As of early 2026, combined military casualties on both sides are estimated to approach two million, with Russia believed to have suffered the larger share. The conflict is now widely seen as a test of endurance, defined by slow territorial changes, persistent long-range attacks, and an increasing reliance on drones rather than rapid battlefield maneuvers.
Sunak also pointed to NATO exercises that revealed how unprepared Western militaries remain for this shift in warfare. He warned that future conflicts are likely to depend less on expensive legacy platforms and more on scalable, rapidly adaptable technologies like drones. This revelation highlights the broader implications of the Ukraine war as a preview of future conflict, where relatively inexpensive
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Originally published on Times of India on 2/22/2026