Nato is being left behind as Ukraine rewrites the rules of modern warfare, defence expert warns

Writing exclusively for LBC Opinion, Robert Brüll, CEO of FibreCoat, said Ukraine’s ability to build, adapt and deploy drones at extraordinary speed has become one of the main reasons it has managed to resist Russia’s invasion for more than three years.

Mr Brüll, who recently visited drone factories in Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, said the country’s manufacturers are operating at a pace almost unknown in traditional Western defence procurement.

He said engineers and soldiers remain in constant contact, with feedback from the front leading directly to design changes and fresh production runs.

In some cases, he said, Ukrainian drone designs are being altered several times within a single week, which one senior defence source told LBC would not

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Mr Brüll argued that modern warfare has become a contest over which side can learn and adapt fastest.

“Ukraine introduces a new drone; Russia responds with countermeasures; Ukraine modifies the drone to overcome them. And on it goes,” he wrote.

He warned that in such an environment, weapons systems taking ten years to develop risk becoming obsolete before they are even deployed.

The comments come after Armin Papperger, chief executive of Rheinmetall, reportedly described Ukrainian drone operations as “Legos” and “housewives with 3D printers”.

Mr Brüll said the remark appeared intended to belittle Ukraine’s approach, but instead showed how badly much of Europe’s defence establishment still misunderstands the war.

He said cheap drones, rapid production and constant adaptation should not be seen as signs of weakness, but as evidence of a new model of warfare.

Ukraine’s use of 3D printing has become central to that model, he said, because it allows parts to be redesigned, printed and tested quickly.

Small printers can also be installed flexibly in a range of buildings, making production harder for Russia to target than large, fixed industrial facilities.

Mr Brüll said this approach stands in sharp contrast to Western defence procurement, which remains focused on small numbers of expensive platforms designed to last for decades.

He warned that many European militaries still lack proper protection against low-cost drone attacks, while armoured vehicles remain vulnerable and expensive missile systems are often used to intercept cheap drones and missiles.

He said the economics of that approach “just don’t make sense”, particularly as conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have forced Western allies to burn through costly interceptor stocks.

Mr Brüll called for NATO countries to stop treating Ukraine simply as a recipient of military aid and instead see it as a source of vital battlefield knowledge.

He said Europe should invest directly in Ukrainian innovation, including funding smaller companies capable of rapid experimentation, rather than relying solely on major defence contractors and long industrial cycles.

He wrote: “Europe should stop treating Ukraine solely as a recipient of military aid, and stop looking down on its courageous and inventive men and women.

“It should see Ukraine as it is: as the world’s most advanced lab for modern warfare.”

Mr Brüll said Ukraine has shown how cheap interceptor drones, layered defensive systems and close links between troops, engineers and manufacturers can reshape the battlefield.

He added that if NATO wants to remain prepared for future conflicts, “innovation and adaptation must win out”.