Ukraine denies Russian claims foreign gamers are being paid to fly killer drones against Putin’s forces
Ukraine has denied Russian claims that it has outsourced drone operations to international gamers after pro-Russian Telegram channels claimed FPV drones were being connected to virtual servers and flown by remote operators around the world.
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One of the claims was originally shared on the loyalist Telegram channel Unofficial Bezsonov Z, before being circulated more widely on Russian military-linked channels.
In the post, it was claimed Russian forces had captured a Ukrainian prisoner who said just 16 Ukrainian UAV operators were fighting against a battalion in a ruined high-rise area.
According to the claim, the operators’ role was to place “a couple of hundred FPV drones”, connect them to a virtual server, and allow people “from any point in the world” to control them.
The post also claimed remote pilots were receiving instant payments for each target hit.
However, a Ukrainian military source told LBC the claim that Kyiv had “outsourced” its drone war to international gamers was not true.
The source said Ukraine already had “more than enough” people willing to come to the country and operate drones against Russian forces, and said the idea of remotely opening the battlefield to foreign operators would run into serious logistical, security and command-and-control problems.
However, the source added that, in principle, using skilled remote pilots was “maybe not the worst idea ever”, underlining how quickly Ukraine’s drone war is evolving.
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There is no evidence from the Telegram messages alone that such a remote-access drone network exists, and Russian wartime channels regularly carry a mixture of battlefield reporting, rumour and propaganda.
But the claims reflect the extent to which drone warfare has come to dominate perceptions of the battlefield in Ukraine.
Ukraine has already developed a computer game-style drone attack system known as the Army of Drones Bonus System, or e-points, where military units are rewarded for confirmed strikes on Russian troops, vehicles and equipment.
Those points can be exchanged for more drones, electronic warfare kit, autonomous vehicles and other battlefield equipment through Brave1, an online marketplace which has been described as an “Amazon for war”.
Drone teams upload video evidence of strikes, which is then checked and scored. Higher-value targets bring more points, with rewards available for hitting infantry, destroying tanks, striking artillery, capturing Russian soldiers and taking out enemy drone operators.
Ukrainian officials say the system helps commanders understand what is happening on the battlefield, which drones are most effective and where resources should be sent.
Some Ukrainian soldiers have welcomed the scheme as a way to replace lost equipment quickly, while others have raised concerns it risks encouraging units to chase points or compete over confirmed kills.
The Russian claim goes further than Ukraine’s publicly acknowledged system. It suggests not just a military rewards scheme, but a remote-access model in which drones already positioned near the front could be flown by outside operators.
However, the claims show how rapidly the drone war is changing. FPV drones are now used to hunt infantry, destroy vehicles, attack supply routes and strike trenches. Both sides rely heavily on drone teams, while electronic warfare units try to jam signals, spoof navigation and protect troops from the air.
The issue is also becoming central to British defence planning.
Plans for a new destroyer to replace Britain’s ageing warships have been scrapped as part of changes to the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan, with ministers instead prioritising drones, autonomous systems and a more modern military.
The Royal Navy will procure at least six “common combat vessels”, which will act as command hubs for uncrewed systems and are expected to enter service in the 2030s.
The vessels are designed to expand the Navy’s reach and firepower without a proportional increase in crew or cost, and will work alongside eight Type 26 and five Type 31 crewed frigates.
Earlier proposals to replace the Navy’s six Type 45 destroyers with a new class of guided-missile warship, known as the Type 83 destroyer, will no longer appear in the plan.
Underwater drones and sensor platforms are also expected to feature heavily, after ministers warned of rising Russian submarine activity in the Atlantic near critical undersea cables.
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said: “Our Royal Navy is a formidable force, operating to protect our nation and our allies in the Atlantic and beyond.
“These common combat vessels will provide our dedicated sailors with hybrid ships that are designed and built for the increasing threats we face.
“Developed with exceptional British innovators, the new ships will be British-built, supporting jobs across the nation and giving the Royal Navy a capability built for modern warfare.”
The programme will also support three new Atlantic initiatives — Atlantic Bastion, Atlantic Shield and Atlantic Strike — aimed at countering Russian activity in the North Atlantic and High North.
Ministers are also expected to commit £500 million to Britain’s commandos, including high-speed boats and strike drones, with a particular focus on the High North and the Arctic Circle.
The Defence Investment Plan was originally due last year, but was delayed by wrangling inside Government over how much money was needed to modernise Britain’s armed forces.
Former defence secretary John Healey quit in protest over the funding settlement, after officials had previously said around £28 billion was needed.
Mr Jarvis is understood to have secured extra money, taking the package to around £14.5 billion — up from the £13.5 billion previously offered, but still well short of the earlier figure sought by defence officials.
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said the plans appeared to be “too little, too late”.
He said: “If correct, these reports suggest Labour’s long-delayed defence plan will have barely any more cash than the previous one — which their own former defence secretary John Healey said in his resignation letter would make Britain ‘less safe’. How can that situation have changed with such a small addition of cash?
“So it’s no surprise we are hearing reports of capabilities being scrapped, just at the time we are meant to be strengthening our armed forces.”
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the former chief of the defence staff, said the next prime minister would need to act “almost like a wartime prime minister” because of the threats facing Britain.
He said Britain’s defence plans would need to pass “the Moscow test”.