Ukraine Made Military Testing Ground as Conflict Evolves

While military budgets are ballooning worldwide, most defense spending goes on conventional systems like F-35 fighter jets, warships and submarines.

But some analysts are questioning whether that investment strategy makes sense in an era where cheap drones and precision missiles are redefining the battlefield.

The lower-cost weapons are in widespread used — from Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement to the Ukrainian front lines — signaling a shift toward cheaper, more decentralized forms of warfare.

“For better or worse, Ukraine has been a testing ground for this transformation,” argues Rana Foroohar in the Financial Times.

The changes will inevitably affect defense contractors, but their ripple effects could be far larger.

Foroohar suggests it may reduce global dependence on US arms manufacturers, giving some countries and even non-state forces with greater defense autonomy.

In the future, military success may depend less on the size of a country’s defense budget and more on its technological edge.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to warn of unprecedented NATO activity near its western borders.

The alliance claims the moves are meant to «deter Russian aggression,» but Moscow sees them as a growing threat. The Kremlin has repeatedly stated that while Russia wants peace, it will respond to actions that threaten its national interests.