The figure summarizes better than any report of war, beyond a. A unit that barely represents 2% of the Ukrainian Armed Forces would be responsible for between 30% and 50% of Russian losses. It is not an armored or heavy artillery brigade, but rather the Unmanned Systems Force, the heart of the drone revolution on the battlefield.
The estimate is made by Maik Keller, German major general and deputy commander of NATO’s General Support and Training Staff for Ukraine, in a . Keller speaks from Wiesbaden, where NATO has been coordinating the , since the end of 2024, without intervening directly in the conflict against Russia.
The headquarters that keeps the supply chain alive
The nerve center of this coordination is the Lucius D. Clay barracks in Wiesbaden. Some 350 military personnel from 31 countries work there, including non-NATO partners such as Australia and New Zealand. Its mission is as inconspicuous as it is decisive: ensuring that weapons, ammunition, spare parts and training reach Ukraine constantly.
To understand this scale, Keller gives an example: only from Poland’s logistics mode do some 18,000 tons of material per month. Since the start of the war, nearly 70,000 equipment movements have been recorded, a figure that illustrates the industrial dimension of the effort.
Three fronts with shortages: rear, front line and deep attacks
According to Keller, Ukraine is lacking at all levels. In the rear, the absolute priority is air defense against massive waves of drones Shahedcruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Systems like Patriot, Iris-T, NASAMS o SAMP/T They are critical, although even with them “If 600 drones arrive in a single night, any country would have a huge problem”.
“A piece of iron that falls from the sky is effective in any weather and regardless of electronic warfare”
On the front, despite the media prominence of drones, artillery remains indisputable. “A piece of iron that falls from the sky is effective in any weather and regardless of electronic warfare”he explains. Drones, artillery, combined, multiply their effectiveness. Added to this are anti-tank mines and offensive and defensive electronic warfare systems.
The third level is deep fire: long-range attacks against Russian targets before they can fire. Keller sums it up with a classic phrase: “Shoot the archer, not the arrow.”
Repair the impossible to avoid losing key systems
Another silent front is that of reparations. Many supplied weapons cannot be easily replaced. Keller recounts the case of a radar Patriot given up as lost by the manufacturer, which was recovered thanks to German Air Force technicians and returned to combat. “It is difficult to quantify, but it is crucial to maintain operational capacity”he emphasizes.
The problem is greater with older systems such as Leopard 1A5 or the Cheetahwhose spare parts are scarce. The solution is to transfer licenses and knowledge so that Ukraine can manufacture its own partssomething that the local industry is already proving it can do.
The Deciding Factor: Drones and a Shape-Shifting War
The most revealing part of the interview comes when Keller describes the real impact of drones. The Ukrainian Force, despite its small size, would be behind up to half of Russian casualties. Not only because of the technology, but because of the mentality.
Many operators They do not come from the traditional army, but from the digital world: gamers, DJs, or technical profiles capable of adapting very quickly. Innovation cycles are so short that new systems emerge every two or three weeks, forcing tactics and training to be constantly updated.
“The heavy tank and large armored units no longer dominate the battlefield”says Keller. Anything moving 20 kilometers ahead or behind the front is detected and attacked.
For NATO, Ukraine is both an ally to support and a real war laboratory. The main lesson is that the future lies in cheap, numerous and disposable systems, not in accumulating arsenals that become obsolete in weeks.
